Fog or Fear?

There is strong evidence that much of the emotional malaise suffered by individuals is the result of environments that condition us to isolate ourselves and to permeate our minds with negative images and information that is capable of creating mental and physical debilitation.

Constant news images of death, murder, and mayhem create minute to minute anxiety for many whose concern for safety begins to be radically elevated, more by perception than reality. Following the events of 9-11, thousands of Americans reported elevated anxiety, difficulty sleeping, a sense of dread and fear.

Many children and youth today are inundated with the images of violence propagated on media from computer games to cartoons to soap operas and television dramas. The constant exposure to distorted realities is a threat that continues to be relegated to the pages of sociological research journals, but which repeatedly appears linked directly to higher incidence of suicide, teen violence and Columbine styled tragedies and “copy-catting.”

Emotional rage has gained a footing as an expected outcome of heavy traffic patterns and less than polite drivers. Widespread weapons proliferation and excessive drug availability continues to promote climates of hostility and criminal assault. The majority of those in prison today are there because of drug related crime.

Whether we ever get a grip on reality in this generation may be a small part of the larger question of whether we can understand that we live our lives in the midst of multitudes in “an altered state” brought about by substance abuse and ever increasing levels of socially induced emotional trauma.

When will we consider the possibility that life is worth living in delight and pleasure with a focus on the things God points us toward as His blessings for life? Daily bread, daily labors, daily worship, daily play, daily sharing of the love of God --- can go far to bring us around to the joy God intended us to experience.