One week from today: planned chaos. Those who aren’t preparing for chaos either live completely alone or don’t have the experience to know better. December 25 permeates all cultures, regardless of geography or religion. One is either participating in the chaos or busily affected by the chaos. No one wants to work that day but questions why everything is closed. All month we’re tolerating the endless sounds of songs extolling the virtues of love, peace, and harmony, but when the day actually arrives we get none of those. We get chaos.
Why? We don’t know how to let others be happy. A child unwraps their first-ever holiday gift and proceeds to put the wrapping paper in their mouth. We know when our children are actively tasting everything. So, why do we wrap their gifts? Who is that for? Certainly not the baby. Take the wrapping paper away and the baby cries. Hello, chaos. A teenager doesn’t want to go to the family event where their grandfather is present. “Oh, c’mon, it’s your family. You have to go!” Hello, chaos. Now a surly teen is staring at their phone and objecting when told to give their grandfather a hug, causing a scene.
I’m not leaving out the possibility that some people don’t know how to be happy, and their dissatisfaction with everything fuels chaos for everyone around them. This is what makes for tyrannical leaders. They’ll punish entire people groups in an attempt to find the happiness they can’t appreciate.
For years, those of a certain age have laughed about the futility of that school exercise where students hid under their desks in preparation for a nuclear strike. Crazy, right? But, we like to feel safe even when we aren’t. Sales of nuclear bunkers are increasing. They’ll keep you as safe as your school desk.
One week from today: planned chaos. Those who aren’t preparing for chaos either live completely alone or don’t have the experience to know better. December 25 permeates all cultures, regardless of geography or religion. One is either participating in the chaos or busily affected by the chaos. No one wants to work that day but questions why everything is closed. All month we’re tolerating the endless sounds of songs extolling the virtues of love, peace, and harmony, but when the day actually arrives we get none of those. We get chaos.
Why? We don’t know how to let others be happy. A child unwraps their first-ever holiday gift and proceeds to put the wrapping paper in their mouth. We know when our children are actively tasting everything. So, why do we wrap their gifts? Who is that for? Certainly not the baby. Take the wrapping paper away and the baby cries. Hello, chaos. A teenager doesn’t want to go to the family event where their grandfather is present. “Oh, c’mon, it’s your family. You have to go!” Hello, chaos. Now a surly teen is staring at their phone and objecting when told to give their grandfather a hug, causing a scene.
Then, 5 family members are found dead at a Utah home, and a 17-year-old is hospitalized with a gunshot wound. Yeah, police are assuming the kid did it. Communication is difficult because the teen apparently tried suicide and missed. Why? He wasn’t happy… what fueled their unhappiness is rather irrelevant at this point.
I’m not leaving out the possibility that some people don’t know how to be happy, and their dissatisfaction with everything fuels chaos for everyone around them. This is what makes for tyrannical leaders. They’ll punish entire people groups in an attempt to find the happiness they can’t appreciate.
This is a strange time of year. First comes this headline: Nestle launches protein shots for US weight-loss drug users. And directly under that, is this one: US FDA warns online vendors selling unapproved weight-loss drugs.
For years, those of a certain age have laughed about the futility of that school exercise where students hid under their desks in preparation for a nuclear strike. Crazy, right? But, we like to feel safe even when we aren’t. Sales of nuclear bunkers are increasing. They’ll keep you as safe as your school desk.
One week. Humpday Holiday.
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