Agreed. I’ve been a part of the “conspiracy space” for a while now, and it actually helped crystalize for me the spiritual battle of good and evil. When I would read about credible theories that were so dark and disturbing, I realized that the darkness had to be balanced with light; true evil necessitates true good (this is what finally struck me, at least). On a path of seeking and revering truth, which started with various counter-cultural opinions, I ended up at the Ultimate Truth. So in that regard, these things have helped me tremendously.
Simultaneously, though, life can start to revolve around dark theories and different podcasts, and keep you from engaging in the very real world you actually live in. As Christians, we are not called to despair, but instead we must hold fast to faith. While the truths we read/hear about online are real, the beauty and joy of our lives is also real and deserves to be honored.
I really do think you can have both- you can be awake and aware of what’s happening in our world politically and culturally, and also have a life centered around love and faith. But it is an ever changing balance. I’m trying to spend more time in fellowship with other Christians and engaging in hobbies and less time going down weird rabbit holes on the internet (there are infinite).
Thank you for the article- a great reminder to recenter around faith.
I can very much sympathise with everything you say - I suspect a lot of people could say the same. I think you're right that it is possible to have both, but to make sure that the centre of our lives is love and faith rather than being focussed on all the darkness going on. That's hard, but important! Like just about everything in the Christian life I suppose!
We also need to be careful that we don’t see things that aren’t there.
For example, I refused the jab and always had huge reservations about it.
I now know many people who have had severe side effects and even died because of it.
I’m convinced there are vast numbers of people across the planet killed by it, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who has a heart attack or stroke have been injured by the COVID jab.
We need to live our lives to the full, making the most of every precious day.
We cannot carry all the cares of the whole world on our shoulders!
great post. I was into the 'truther' side of things, but it led me to Jesus, and that's when I stopped seeking alternative sources of info. I do still look from time to time, but it's all so depressing. And I also found it gets wrapped up in the new age philosophy - which I think is maybe the ultimate aim of allowing so much to be revealed, to traumatise people and then lead them towards the countefeit truth of the new age as a fake 'solution'
Thanks Kate, and I do agree. There is a very subtle kind of deception which allows people to think that they've got to "the truth" - but then it leads them to some kind of new age philosophy or something like that. I also think there's a danger of spiritual pride in thinking, "I've got the truth -- those people are so blind...", or "THOSE are our real enemies..." When Jesus calls us to seek the lost and love our enemies. And ultimately, of course, to remember that the real foes are sin, the world, and the devil.
Agreed. I’ve been a part of the “conspiracy space” for a while now, and it actually helped crystalize for me the spiritual battle of good and evil. When I would read about credible theories that were so dark and disturbing, I realized that the darkness had to be balanced with light; true evil necessitates true good (this is what finally struck me, at least). On a path of seeking and revering truth, which started with various counter-cultural opinions, I ended up at the Ultimate Truth. So in that regard, these things have helped me tremendously.
Simultaneously, though, life can start to revolve around dark theories and different podcasts, and keep you from engaging in the very real world you actually live in. As Christians, we are not called to despair, but instead we must hold fast to faith. While the truths we read/hear about online are real, the beauty and joy of our lives is also real and deserves to be honored.
I really do think you can have both- you can be awake and aware of what’s happening in our world politically and culturally, and also have a life centered around love and faith. But it is an ever changing balance. I’m trying to spend more time in fellowship with other Christians and engaging in hobbies and less time going down weird rabbit holes on the internet (there are infinite).
Thank you for the article- a great reminder to recenter around faith.
I can very much sympathise with everything you say - I suspect a lot of people could say the same. I think you're right that it is possible to have both, but to make sure that the centre of our lives is love and faith rather than being focussed on all the darkness going on. That's hard, but important! Like just about everything in the Christian life I suppose!
Totally agree. We feel exactly the same.
We need to keep a sensible balance.
We also need to be careful that we don’t see things that aren’t there.
For example, I refused the jab and always had huge reservations about it.
I now know many people who have had severe side effects and even died because of it.
I’m convinced there are vast numbers of people across the planet killed by it, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who has a heart attack or stroke have been injured by the COVID jab.
We need to live our lives to the full, making the most of every precious day.
We cannot carry all the cares of the whole world on our shoulders!
Yes, I particularly agree about seeing things that aren’t there. That’s definitely a temptation as well. Thanks Liz!
great post. I was into the 'truther' side of things, but it led me to Jesus, and that's when I stopped seeking alternative sources of info. I do still look from time to time, but it's all so depressing. And I also found it gets wrapped up in the new age philosophy - which I think is maybe the ultimate aim of allowing so much to be revealed, to traumatise people and then lead them towards the countefeit truth of the new age as a fake 'solution'
Thanks Kate, and I do agree. There is a very subtle kind of deception which allows people to think that they've got to "the truth" - but then it leads them to some kind of new age philosophy or something like that. I also think there's a danger of spiritual pride in thinking, "I've got the truth -- those people are so blind...", or "THOSE are our real enemies..." When Jesus calls us to seek the lost and love our enemies. And ultimately, of course, to remember that the real foes are sin, the world, and the devil.