The Fourth Wall - Day 16
2 Kings
7:1 Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.”
So, Elisha predicts things will get better. It has to be hard to believe since things were so terrible at this point, and the turnaround is supposed to happen super quickly. Because things were so bad at this point, no one can believe that things will get better too quickly. Certainly, only a miracle will make things change.
Compared to how things were today, tomorrow, getting that much better doesn’t seem to make sense. Particularly when you compare today's and tomorrow's predictions.
Comparison is a deadly situation in our lives. The reality behind social media is that there is no reality behind it. I was at Trafalgar Square in London the other day, and the place was inundated by “Influencers” making videos for their social media accounts. Honestly, and perhaps I am showing my age here, they looked ridiculous. The behind-the-scenes of these videos are not only mundane but often move into farcical categories. I guess that is how movies shot on a green screen feel.
What I mean is that our reality is significantly different from what is happening. Social media gives an alternate reality with very little to do with what is happening in each person’s world. The same can be said for the “news” we also receive on social media. It is a shade of “truth” but not the reality of an epistemological truth we can trust. Without knowing the motivation, the bias, and the monetization of what you are watching, you are going to not only get a distorted reality, but it will confirm the bias that you already have in your heart and mind.
You see, these are dangerous times we are living in. A time when everything you “want” to be true will be true to you. However, this has very little to do with what is happening worldwide. When we experience this type of “reality,” we aren’t experiencing reality. Rather, we are experiencing a curated truth and reality that fits into our preconceived notions of how things should be.
We could continue with this, but let me brass-tax it for you. Get your information from various sources, know their bias, and learn to discern.
7:1 Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.”
So, Elisha predicts things will get better. It has to be hard to believe since things were so terrible at this point, and the turnaround is supposed to happen super quickly. Because things were so bad at this point, no one can believe that things will get better too quickly. Certainly, only a miracle will make things change.
Compared to how things were today, tomorrow, getting that much better doesn’t seem to make sense. Particularly when you compare today's and tomorrow's predictions.
Comparison is a deadly situation in our lives. The reality behind social media is that there is no reality behind it. I was at Trafalgar Square in London the other day, and the place was inundated by “Influencers” making videos for their social media accounts. Honestly, and perhaps I am showing my age here, they looked ridiculous. The behind-the-scenes of these videos are not only mundane but often move into farcical categories. I guess that is how movies shot on a green screen feel.
What I mean is that our reality is significantly different from what is happening. Social media gives an alternate reality with very little to do with what is happening in each person’s world. The same can be said for the “news” we also receive on social media. It is a shade of “truth” but not the reality of an epistemological truth we can trust. Without knowing the motivation, the bias, and the monetization of what you are watching, you are going to not only get a distorted reality, but it will confirm the bias that you already have in your heart and mind.
You see, these are dangerous times we are living in. A time when everything you “want” to be true will be true to you. However, this has very little to do with what is happening worldwide. When we experience this type of “reality,” we aren’t experiencing reality. Rather, we are experiencing a curated truth and reality that fits into our preconceived notions of how things should be.
We could continue with this, but let me brass-tax it for you. Get your information from various sources, know their bias, and learn to discern.
- What is the bias that you want to hear in your news reports?
- How does social media add to the anxiety and FOMO you live with?
- How can you go directly to the source of what you are trying to discover?
Pastor Timothy Gillespie
Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides
Daily Study Podcast
The Abide Daily Podcast
Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk
Posted in The Fourth Wall
No Comments