Commentary: Think First of What We Say

#1624c
Bill Onisick
Given 06-Nov-21; 12 minutes

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There is nothing new under the sun as humans have always sought to explain the unexplainable. Early Greek mythology included the story of sirens that lured nearby sailors with enchanting songs to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. These stories were passed on through generations and used to explain why ships were sometimes lost at sea. In similar fashion, we have the Abominable Snowman (Big Foot), UFOs ,and the Loch Ness monster. Many people still believe Chemtrails are the result of the government trying to spray us with harmful chemicals or control the weather.

Some believe the moon isn’t real and nobody ever landed on it, that Elvis is alive, the JFK assassination and 9/11 were inside jobs, and the world already ended in 2012 as it was sucked into a black hole - we just don’t know it yet. Others are certain the Denver airport is a hub for the Illuminati with Blucifer (the giant blue horse sculpture, which killed the artist who made it) guarding the gateway to hell with it’s demonic glowing eyes.

With social media and the internet, we have an unprecedented, never ending access to information. But all that information comes with various levels of inaccuracy and incompleteness. As the competition for our attention span grows more fierce, misinformation and sensationalized views are becoming more and more prevalent. Balanced stories just don’t generate the hype and the following that are required in this day and age. Our prideful hearts tend to trust information that confirms what we want to believe. Modern technology feeds our desire to be right by customizing information based on past behavior. With each search, we find more “facts” that support our hypothesis or what we want to believe.

Shortly after I came into the church, many believed Y2K was the coming apocalypse. Time magazine’s January 18, 1999, cover read, “The End of the World!?!” As a technology consultant, I was amazed at how the sensationalized, misinformation on potential impacts of Y2K spread like a virus. People panicked and spent gobs of money on things like bunkers and all types of supplies. If we think back on that, how much anxiety was there, and how many resources were wasted due to that misinformation and hype?

Proverbs 14:15 The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.

Proverbs 14:18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

I Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

Over the last decade, we’ve all been elevated into a position of power to spread information like wildfire. In fact, each of us now wields more information-sharing power than the chief editor of the New York Times. Today’s BLOT (Bottom line on Top): How often are we perhaps guilty of the sin of sharing misinformation and gossip? It is really easy to do.

Have we become numb, as Paul warns Timothy? "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." God is very clear in His instruction about our words that should always be spoken in truth.

Exodus 23:1 You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

Fellow family members, have we become careless in the words that we speak, email, and post? Modern technology has increased the flood of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Just like the ancient sailors and their sirens, we have an innate desire to come up with an explanation for why anything bad happens. During times of depression, anxiety, wars and both man-made or natural disasters, there is a constant flow of misinformation and conspiracy theories. But we must remember: There are a lot of things that happen that are hard to explain and not everything is the result of some secret motive or hidden agenda.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a conspiracy theory is "the theory that an event or phenomenon occurs as a result of a conspiracy between interested parties, typically political in motivation and oppressive in intent.”

Conspiracist beliefs oppose mainstream consensus among those most qualified to evaluate their accuracy, such as scientists. Conspiracy theorists see themselves as having privileged and enlightened access to knowledge that contradicts the masses who believe the official account.

No doubt, there is an underlying pride that can elevate us into thinking we have it all figured out—we’ve somehow connected dots that the majority just can’t understand. But we should not blindly accept and pass on any information without carefully evaluating facts to avoid spreading speculative misinformation. Remember, by definition, a theory is a guess that is more often than not wrong because there are no facts to support it. Don’t get me wrong here. There are certainly conspiracies that are real, and we know Satan is the great conspirator.

We definitely should keep our eyes open and we should not be so naive to think that everyone is looking out for our best interests. But likewise, brethren, we've got to be balanced here. We should not think everything is a conspiracy and everyone's out to get us. How much time do we spend researching and sharing conspiracies which are impossible to prove? Jesus warns us that no one will know when He returns. We’re not somehow going to figure it out—how all of this ends. So let’s redirect some of that energy into doing something we know we should do: growing in the likeness and knowledge of our great God. We can tie right into yesterday's CGG Weekly ["Wasted Energy"]. John Reiss provides some really great actions we can take to properly refocus our energy. (Thank you, John.)

Jesus Himself reminds us how important it is for our words to be straightforward and true:

Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

The words that come out of our mouths should be pure, peaceable, and always true. So, before we speak or hit forward on that next email, or before we repost something, let’s pause and be certain that it’s true. If there is any doubt, let’s not (as God says in Exodus 23) join hands with the unrighteous witness. If we’re just compelled to share something and we are not sure it is true—we probably shouldn't do it, but if we are compelled to do it—let's start with a lot of humble disclaimers: "Warning: this could be misinformation!" "I'm not an expert; I don't know. I saw this; maybe it is true—I don't know." But we can't speak something from an authority viewpoint if we don't know it is a fact. That is a lie. That's not the truth.

When we share or spread false, incomplete, or inaccurate information—knowingly or ignorantly—we violate God’s law.

Lastly, this is an important one for all of us, and I need this reminder too. (I always speak to myself first and foremost.) Remembering our citizenship is in heaven and not of this world, we should not get engaged in political controversies or foolish disputes online. In Romans 13, Paul tells us we’re to be subject to the governing authorities because these rulers have been appointed by God. They are in place solely because God has allowed it.

Romans 13:2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

As Barnes' Notes explains, the underlying Greek translated “be subject” (Romans 13:1) denotes subordination and a level of respect and submission which soldiers render to their officers. That is how we are to treat our leaders. We are to humble ourselves and yield to the authority of those over us. We don’t have to endorse them. We don't have to like them. But we have to respect their authority.

Regardless of whether we like what they tell us to do—like wearing masks—e are to yield to and obey them as long as what they say does not contradict God’s instructions. That is an important disclaimer there. We must not spread rumors about that. We should not gossip about these leaders or in any way openly disrespect or ridicule them by chanting, "Let’s Go Brandon." In the end, these leaders typically do a pretty good job at ridiculing themselves.

Fellow family members, we can all do better here together. Let’s remember Jesus’ instruction:

Matthew 12:26-27 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

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