I listened recently to a podcast that attempted to explain the current divisiveness of the country. One of the commentators attributed it, at least in part, to the abundance of news sources and commentary on them. The Information Age we are in doesn’t just allow us to have easy access to information, but to information of our liking. Just as I could in past years turn the knob (remember those) to a radio station of my liking (rock, country, easy listening) I can now tune in to news and commentary of my liking, to what is comfortable to me — so I do. Guilty as charged.
Because of my selective tuning the only media “dissonance” I hear is when someone sets up “the other point of view” as a straw man to expose, ridicule, and topple. So, when I do finally hear someone expressing (God forbid) an opposing view, my reaction is exaggerated. So what to do?
I am reminded of this from a favorite source, Anne Lamott from Traveling Mercies:
“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out He hates all the same people you do.”
This parallel occurs to me – when I agree with all the news and commentary I listen to, it might just be time to try at least season my search for the truth by sprinkling in some other sources.
All of this was prompted by this today from C. S. Lewis:
“If you look for truth you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth – only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.”
God help me as I listen to Rush and Sean!
It occurs to me... 