I wonder...

There is this guy running for President who says the craziest things. I wonder what would happen if nobody heard him anymore? I mean, what would happen? Let's say a major TV network like ABC said "We're not going to have anymore stories about him." What would happen?

A couple things would happen for sure. Advertisers that want to sell things to people who  "like" this guy, would not advertise on ABC anymore. But most products that people buy are bought by all kinds of people, and so you'd miss out on selling to those who "don't like" guy and are still (or even now, as it would be in my case as I have watched nothing on ABC for 20 years other than ESPN related things) watching. Some would opt out, but not all I am sure. So advertising revenue for ABC would be down. How much? That's an open question...

Secondly, this guy would start railing against ABC for being "unfair." Note: he can be unfair, but no one else can. Unless he owns part of ABC (a distinct possibility, but then it might be some other network or news source that would have to boycott him anyway), ABC could tell him to suck it up, and start saying things less stupid if he wants them to pay attention. But he would be mad, and he seems to carry grudges...oh well, these are the choices our hypothetical ABC executives would have made.

Because the danger of this guy is not what he says, but what others don't tell us about our reality or our world because they are too busy telling us about him. In other words, what are we missing because we're spending so much time on this "American Idiot?" (apologies to Billie Joe Armstrong) I wonder what kind of world we would have if we just didn't listen to such people as this candidate? I wonder if the world would be safer? It would certainly be cleaner...

There is a lot of hopelessness out in my neighborhood, and it is brought about by an almost pathological focus on issues far outside of one person's control. We can't "control" terrorism, misogyny, racism, poverty, or wealth inequality, but that's what we hear about so the world seems so bleak...so hopeless.

I wonder if we thought about the stuff we could control, would a sense of hope be possible? An alcoholic can't stop drinking, but they can not have the next drink. A white person can't stop racism, but they can turn down the next offer they receive because they are white. In other neighborhoods, not mine maybe, there is some real hopelessness. I mean, if you're being shot at just because you are black, there' not a lot of hope for change...unless the people doing the shooting stop shooting. I wonder what that world would be like?

I wonder about a lot as I live into another season of Easter here in the Church triumphant. Another season of love and hope, and being able to take risks because from death I've been set free! He is risen! Alleluia! (He is risen indeed!) The Christian faith puts all its hope-eggs into just one Easter basket, and so far that's been enough. And it probably will be enough forever...but I wonder, if the Son of Humanity were to return  would he find faith?

He probably would. But not in the media-saturated markets and minds of so many, but rather in the humble, simple folks who understand that there are many worse things than death, and everybody's dying. I wonder how that would go?

May your tables be full and your conversations be true.