We live in a world that even our most foresighted futuristic forefathers could never imagine. Cold water flows into our homes with the turn of a faucet. Hot showers are available on demand. We press buttons on a machine to cool us in the summer and warm us in winter. Our food is flown in from across the globe either refrigerated or frozen, and ice is no longer a luxury.
We have the ability to easily travel across town or traverse across time zones. While unseen radio waves carry our communications across continents. We’ve soothed our fears of things that go bump in the night by illuminating the night sky; invented light that impersonates a sunshine day. All the while, we pretend we no longer live in darkness and we’re wrong. Very, very, very wrong.
While the modern world has made physical comfort more accessible for more people than other time in human history, our collective mental health has deteriorated. I know way too many families and persons who struggle with mental illness. An illness I have wrestled with in the past; a sickness that continues to hurt those who I love.
Mental illness is a parasite that births doubt and breeds fear. Siblings of suffering borne by an evil that infects individuals and poisons communities. It destroys our sense of self-worth. It saps our strength for life; and it sucks our hearts dry of love.
It’s destruction to the human race rivals the blackest plague or the bluest pestilence. While physical sickness seeks to kill the body, mental sickness seeks to kill the soul. While we continue to cure diseases of the physique, our culture continues to cultivate diseases of the mind.
An evil that amplifies ancient words; God cannot be trusted. God cares nothing about you. God could never love you.
Anti-human words that erode our self-worth. Libelous words that eviscerate the love that surrounds all people. Cunning words that reverberate still, particularly now.
The modern world has only increased and intensified our mental misery; and that was before COVID. A draconian lockdown of severe social isolation coerced on humanity. Skyrocketing suffering to serve selfishness and Satan.
Our culture venerates the individual while vilifying any community of connectedness; unless of course it’s in cyberland. Like shadows on a cave wall, the virtual world is not the real world. Only what is genuine can be truthful and nothing is genuine about the internet.
It’s an ingenious idol that solely serves what our culture tries to tell and sell us. A culture that’s spiritually lost. A culture of unfathomable unhappiness, abnormal anxiety and suicidal sadness.
The online world is a sinister simulation designed to harm and hurt other humans. It’s a reproduced reality that doesn’t actually exist. Deliberately designed deception to disorient, devalue and destroy us; you and me.
Screens of all sizes serve-up one false image after another. Trying to convince us we’re not keeping up with (insert name). Trying to coax us to suppose this thing (insert object) will heal our hearts. Trying to cajole us that those humans (insert people) will harm and hurt us. Trying to convert us to believe we can only trust (insert human or human institution).
With each new day we relinquish our autonomy to apps. We trust in smart devices to manage every mechanism in our home. We move closer to a dystopian world of digital identification. Giving immoral governments and unethical corporations dominion over every aspect of our lives. Cyber wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Technology that’s deliberately designed so we never turn it off. Societal leaders assure us that our lives will only get easier. That every new technology is devised to benefit all people, not just some people. Love giving those who have ears the wisdom to discern that all earthly entities will eventually embrace evil.
Our mental health will only improve when we come to understand what is not natural, can never replace the natural world God created for all people. That we were created to engage with one another in-person not only online. That we were created to experience nature and savor all our senses. That we were created to empower one another by creating living communities of love. That we were created to be called children of God. God is love.
Turn off your devices. Touch grass. Tend to those who are hurting. Take time to create meaningful memories with those you love. Teach your heart, mind and soul the ways of wisdom. Tell the truth. Testify that everyone is deserving of love because every human was created to live love live not online.
Peace. God loves you.
If you want to learn more about how my spiritual awakening came to be, you can read about it in Finding God in Vegas: A Gen X Spiritual Awakening; available on Amazon and across all platforms in print or electronic or audio.