Lent: A Hard Week for Joy

Last week was a hard one to write about, if my assignment has been to look for joy. There was the attack in London. Yes, there was great caring and bravery in the face of evil. But there was still evil. Then, the health care repeal loomed. The Koch brothers offered to financially reward lawmakers who voted for what the Kochs wanted – and punish those who voted against them. And it’s legal. I know that the ACA is flawed and needs fixing or replacing. But the lawmakers tasked with making those decisions are being bribed/threatened, not by votes from their constituents but by people who live above the laws made. Well, it’s hard to find joy in that.

I listened to a podcast about a $275 million insider trading scandal. Insider trading is rampant, and it’s getting harder for the Feds to prosecute it. It’s hard for me to imagine this not ending up in anarchy and civil war. And why not? The chickens should come home to roost. But who’s going to suffer the most? Probably our kids.

If I want to find joy, I’m going to have to shut my eyes and ears to what’s going on in the world. I don’t know how to feel joyful about that.

 

 

4 Comments

  1. It was worse years ago. No laws against insider trading. No income tax. No Social Security. No Medicare.

    As to our leaders, we now know both POTUS candidates one way or another were being criminally investigated effective July 2016. Somehow we still have a USA and the oldest constitution on earth.

    Something’s working. God’s providence has kept us afloat and kept a nuclear holocaust away for 72 years come September. Now that’s power.

    • Yes, so true. I heard a sermon about how both candidates had baggage that would result in discipline/judgment on us. And not to lay blame on two individual people – they’re only reflections on us. True, God has protected us. But CS Lewis once said (I’m paraphrasing): If we do not say to God, “thy will be done,” he will eventually say to us, “fine: your will be done.” We will reap what we have sown. Maybe it will take that humble pie.

  2. What it seems like I’m having to do for Lent is give up my ways of looking at the world and let God do things as He does them. It is frustrating, hurtful, and I have to say, He’s got to be the one who knows how it has to be done. Thank you for reminding that joy is to be found in all this….

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