When "Giving Tuesday" feels like we're moving deck chairs around on the Titanic

I'm cold. Can't seem to warm up.
So this comes to you from beside my fireplace.

Many times this past year it's felt as though the world has fallen into its death throes, or it seems to be the case for America at least.

National tensions, racial conflicts, leadership vacuum, and now we are in this place of sexual abuse announcements and America has suddenly decided that its had enough of such things. Feels odd that for decades this behaviour has been tolerated. Allowed even.  Then suddenly America has a crisis of conscious and the list of morally corrupt men continues to grow day by day.

Today was a newish thing to add to the calendar. Giving Tuesday. A day when the world is invited to give to some worthy cause or another. Many emails filled my inbox, and social media was a storm  asking for donations to everything because today is "Giving Tuesday."

Now I'm all for giving, and doing it all year long. But this one gave me pause.

Giving Tuesday follows gluttonous eating Thanksgiving Thursday, and Black Friday (which stretches into Saturday) then Cyber Monday when you can spend what money you have left over, on online purchases. Then after that mad rush of hedonism, well lets give what we have left to the needy, on Giving Tuesday. That'll help us feel magnanimous after a weekend of indulgences.

As you can tell, I'm prepared to celebrate Cynical Wednesday tomorrow.

Is this who our neighbours are becoming?
As we watch them having their fits, we become effected too.

You poke that beast and you run the risk of being rolled over on.
Prophets name it and call them to better choices and online and real space mob mentality takes over and before you know it, somebody's reputation dies, or worse their actual life is over.

One American national writer wonders if there is any coming back from this all. I wonder that too.
Is this just a really low spot that America can somehow bounce back from, or are we watching the demise of a giant.

They say the great ones die from within themselves a long time before they are invaded by another power. I guess time will tell with this giant. It just seems that time is not on her side.

As it is when you stand too near a dying giant, you need to be careful lest you get hit in the throes. Be careful out there and online. Know your allegiances and the powers that be. Be humble but let more of your bold statements be about things that are eternal, rather than trying to prop up a dead giant.

Many have confused their faith with their country's values and it's blurred the lines quite stupendously. As a result, they fight nationalist battles thinking they are spiritual battles. But they're not. Its like a great blindness has settled upon the people, and in the confusion they are killing one another.

And lest we start dancing around the fallen giant which you may think deserves it, remember it's happening in other countries too. This is no time for high and mighty "I told you so's." Its a time for humble realization that it can happen here too, and it will if we are not willing to be different and to pray and to humble ourselves before God.

Welcome God's blessing to the land that way. Pray, serve, and love your communities in humility. You and I don't have all the answers to the questions we will face, but in Christ there is hope.

...and love and peace and joy.