Current events over the past year and recent month—Ukraine/Russia, open borders, Palestinian-Hamas/Israel conflict etc., have captivated and or distracted the public, both nationally and internationally, to the point of paralysis for many watching the “mainstream news.” Social media posts on Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms have also generated ludicrous attention to the sphere of the “public square.” All these platforms compete with each other for our time, money, and perspective to shape our values affecting our moral compass by means of the narratives and manipulative propaganda. Some of these areas can be somewhat useful, but one has to have wisdom, make due diligence, research, pray and use the discernment of the Holy Spirit along with the Word of God as our guide (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Yes, innocent lives are being taken from the Palestinians and Israeli people however, truth reporting is hard to find. We must pray for all sides, Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Christians, and Israelis that many will come to a relationship with Jesus the Messiah, and that this current suffering will come to an end. The church must have the discernment of the Holy Spirit in how to pray for the current happenings without jumping to conclusions on the “narratives” the enemy wants us to believe. The same is true about the war in Ukraine.
As I reflect on distractions, my mind takes me to the passage in the book of Exodus, Chapter 32, where the children of Israel came to Aaron to persuade him to make a golden calf idol. Because Moses had been gone so long up the mountain of God, rumors spread that he might have died. Aaron, the High Priest, due to his weakness, yielded to the request of the people. They immediately broke at least 5 of those 10 commandments that they agreed to obey. God told Moses, “Go down at once, for your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. (Exodus 32: 7)
It was Moses’ appeal to God that spared the distracted children of Israel from being completely destroyed. May we, like Moses, be the ambassadors for Christ, as in II Corinthians 3:20 and appeal to the lost to be, “. . . reconciled to God” because Lost Lives Matter!
