Tall Tales Abound

A byproduct of the information age is that we don’t have any trouble finding sources on just about anything. This would seem to make us the smartest, most informed people of all time. Everyone on the planet can become experts on whatever they like. But that’s not what is happening. A great deal of people are taking to social media and merely repeating the same things we were told growing up without checking to see if they are true. And trust me when I tell you that there are more than enough sources out there wasting our time on urban legends, unexplained phenomena, and much more. With predictive algorithms aiding and abetting the process one can go down a myriad of rabbit trails from sunrise to sunset. So instead of being the most intellectually astute generation we are degenerating into the most distracted generation who are educating ourselves on the most inane topics. If you think you’re immune from the information overload just because you don’t know anything about Bigfoot, UFOs, or the like I bet you are more than knowledgeable of all the new stats being used in the world of sports as you gear up for your fantasy leagues. I am lost in the many acronyms bantered around now when I grew up with just a few like ERAs and BAs (that would be earned runs allowed for pitchers and batting average for hitters). Trust me when I tell you we know more about things that have no real life importance to the masses than ever before. And we blissfully continue to indulge in it one video at a time.

A Few Examples

Since this podcast is all about current events with a Biblical perspective I’ll confine myself to some of the many topics that come up that I consider distractions for us. I’ll start with all this talk about a meteor called Apophis which is supposed to hit earth on April 13, 2029. Here is how an article from Star Walk explains the dangers from it:

99942 Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid that orbits the Sun about every 324 days. It was discovered in 2004. Early predictions estimated a 2.7% chance of Apophis hitting Earth in 2029, which led to it being temporarily assigned a Torino Scale rating of 4 – the highest ever recorded for any asteroid at the time, indicating a “close encounter with significant chance of collision”. This sparked widespread concern and comparisons to the apocalyptic Wormwood asteroid from the Book of Revelation. Although further observations ruled out the possibility of impact in the near future, a doomsday atmosphere still lingers around the asteroid. Even its name has a malicious aura.

But will it actually hit earth other times? The article discusses that as well:

Apophis is expected to approach the Earth in 2029, 2036, and 2068, and radar observations and orbit analysis showed it will not hit our planet in either case. Any chance of impact is ruled out for at least the next 100 years (and even further) thanks to the observation campaign conducted in March 2021 (yet, some media and individuals still seem to be unaware). As told by Richard Binzel, a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “the three most important things about Apophis are: Apophis will miss the Earth. Apophis will miss the Earth. Apophis will miss the Earth”.

But still the shorts and reels dominate online. And about those aliens.

They Walk Among Us

Or they fly over us depending on your beliefs. In an article from CBS news one Harvard researcher thinks these aliens do indeed live among us now:

Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions.The paper, which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a resurgent interest in UFOs, known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking more than 650 potential UFOs, a Pentagon official said last year.

The scientists think we need to be more open to why these UAPs keep showing up:

Harvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a "cryptoterrestrial hypothesis" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a "concealed earthly explanation" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space.

"We've seen these cockpit videos so many times ... but what's inside?" Masters said in an interview with CBS News Boston.

They call it a cryptoterrestrial theory:

The trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be "concealed in stealth" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or "even walking among us" and passing as humans.

Masters thinks they could be human, but from a future time:

"We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings," Masters said.

Masters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said "aliens" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel.

He thinks we should be talking it more:

"It is something that we should all be talking about," Masters said. He said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as climate change.

"What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?" he said.

I do agree that there are things much bigger than us but not aliens or humans from the future. But I digress.

And Much, Much More

I could talk about mythical creatures like Sasquatch, the Loch Ness monster, very tall creatures some people call Nephilim and on and on. The latter seems to interest Christians now and the idea they really exist seems to make even seasoned saints debate endlessly online. The point is not if they are real, but how much time they occupy in our day? And then I question if they actually do exist, how does that change our missions to fulfill the great commission. Don’t get me wrong, if people want to know what the Bible says about them I will broach the issues if only to point people back to what the good book says about them. If any discussion devolves into mere speculation and endless debating then count me out. As I’ve been praying the last few weeks, the word distraction and variations of it keep coming up. I’ve even danced around the issue in a few podcasts lately. This time I want to tackle it head on and why we need to reevaluate how we spend our time. The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy as we’re told in John 10:10. I can easily see the accuser of the brethren stealing opportunities to witness and pray by encouraging us to kill time scrolling and scrolling listening to theories about these scary or mythical things which destroy relationships and spreading the Gospel endeavors. Is it that serious? I not only think so, I know so. I’ve seen it happen in others and sadly in my own life. What can we do about this?

Renew Your Mind

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2, ESV)

I totally see how this applies to the recent habit of staring at our cell phones or at our computer screens, throwing away time listening and even studying inanities that have no meaningful use for our Christian lives. We’ve been conformed to do this and the routine is more than easy to develop. To end it we need not just a better mold, but to break out of the mold by letting Holy Spirit transform us. That word transform carries with it the example of a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon and flying free as a beautiful butterfly. That’s not a bad example for us when it comes to being distracted and becoming liberated. It’s not like changing the behavior of a caterpillar. It’s becoming something completely different and acting like a new creation. So I encourage us to govern our online activity and expand our kingdom activities starting now. Holy Spirit will lead us as He leads us to all truth. He won’t just tell us how to change, He will take our hands and walk with us as we change. And that’s a good place for an amen, folks!