My Apologies

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This morning I clicked on a video by Michael Hyatt called "3 Blogging Mistakes That Are Killing Your Traffic."  BAM! I was hit by the first mistake - inconsistent posting.  Yep! That's me!  When life gets busy, my blog takes a backseat.  Last month I promised that each month on the 15th I would bring you a blogger interview. My first interview with Christin Slade was so fun to do, and I learned so much about her, that I decided I wanted to do one each month.  Yet weeks went by and I forgot about it!  Then I remembered, and could not decide who to interview!  So rest assured, I have been working on that and the post will be here shortly.

In other news, as you are well aware, our nation has been hit by another string of tragedies this past week.  From the bombings in Boston, to serious flooding in the midwest, to the factory explosion in Texas, it's almost impossible not to know someone in one of these areas. My heart has been heavy the past few days.  My heart is heavy not only for the victims of these tragedies, but by the response to them as well.  Instead of really praying, we hurl out reasons why these things happened that are not helpful.  The worst responses I have seen have been from fellow Christians, quoting Scriptures about the end times and prophecies and how we've left God out of our government and "this is why!"

Those responses are not helpful.  They are not loving. They are insensitive and pointing-fingers-in-victim's-faces.  What is wrong with us that instead of mourning with those who mourn, we launch into diatribes about why this is happening?  It's why I refuse to listen to talk radio, watch cable news programs with commentary, or participate in these kinds of conversations. One of the best blogs I read on this topic was my friend Don's blog post called "Terrorized" where he says we have been caught up in the sensationalism of it all:  " I’m sickened by those who in one breath tell us that they are 'praying for Sandy Hook or Boston' and then quickly turn to Twitter for the latest body count and rumors."

I admit that I have been one of those people who has gotten caught up in the sensationalism of it all - and isn't it partly because we are bored with our own lives?  It feels good to be connected with the rest of the world in some way?  But then we spend more time in the news than we do in the Word, and more time calling our friends than truly calling on the One we need to.

I'm not saying the news is bad, or we shouldn't be informed of the latest updates. But where is our heart in all of this?  Do we really care, or are we just pretending to?  Because if we really care, then let's check how we are spending our time, and spend more time praying for them than reading about them.

Please share your thoughts on this - how do you balance staying informed with not getting wrapped up in the sensationalism of each event?

I have written a few other posts on tragedies in the past, and how we can learn to respond appropriately and walk our children through these events.  Take a look:

When a Killer is Close By
When the World is Falling Apart
Choosing Peace Over Fear
Joy Through Pain
Be the Body of Christ
The Power of Goodbye
Heaviness