Anger
A friend taught something the other day. He pointed out that he finds himself getting grumpy when he ingests the news. Like eating something that gives you indigestion. Having watched the news I see what he means. Each story is carefully crafted to divide our community. It is inflammatory and infuriating.
I quickly point out that we are a bit spoilt with our local paper and community newsletters. They simply tell us what is going on in an informative and non biased way. This is not always the case with other publications.
But my friend has aroused some more questions that I don’t know the answer to. Why does anger sell? Why does division and argy bargy, grab our attention and why is it that we hang onto these unhelpful emotions for far too long?
My friend, has chosen not to fuel his ‘indigestion’ with lashings of this unhelpful diet. He says he is feeling a lot happier for it and he certainly seems that way. He pointed out that every time we support the “Big media” we are in fact perpetuating the cycle of grumpiness. We are supporting an industry that is provocative.
In a very cheeky moment, I wonder what would happen if for just one day, everyone chose not to support the “Big Media”. Would the world end if we chose not to buy one of their papers or watched a film instead of the news? We often need to be reorientated away from our ire.
Some of the words that have reorientated me from time to time are these.
Come Holy Spirit giver of life and love, grant for our hallowing thoughts that pass into words. Words that pass into deeds, deeds that pass into love and love that pass into life everlasting. Even so... come..