So I need to start this off with a “warning” this blog entry may offend you. Please keep in mind that if it does, it is okay to have differing opinions. So, if need be, let’s “agree to disagree.”

Somewhere in the past 30 plus years a very interesting culture shift began to happen here in the USA. At least this is how I see it. Maybe it was the tech boom combined with world wide access to internet and other ideas and beliefs. Whatever it was / is there has been a change.

Now I realize every decade has its changes, mankind creates, invents and ages while making the “world better.” But looking back some things seemed to have held over from decade to decade, good things. Such as talking with your neighbors outside, going to church on Sunday mornings, taking family vacations, etc. Yes, these things still happen, but I would say a lot less.

It would seem that we are a bit stuck in “let’s not have too much change, let’s keep things “normal.” Yet while that seems to be feeling, the world as we know is changing rapidly, especially here in the USA. There are constant changes in “acceptance” of “all” i.e., homosexual marriages, transgenders, gender identity issues and more. Yet, those things constantly being pushed along with “all lives matter, black lives matter, Asian lives matter, police matter….” that list is just silly and goes on and on. We ALL matter!

Anyways, all of that happening, yet things like covid / pandemic caused a great stirring of better hygiene, stores actually cleaning off carts, spraying things down, etc. But now, you don’t hear that message as much and every store I have walked into – has gone back to “as usual” not cleaning carts, not offering soap, etc. Didn’t anyone learn? Oh wait, the answer is NO! This is America, where I believe has the largest “jump on the bandwagon” population in all of the world.

Example: September 11, 2001. The crumbling of the World Trade Towers and other surrounding buildings. Planes used as weapons of war and thousands dead. The days and weeks after this tragedy were full of American pride, flags everywhere you looked from decals on windows, flags in yards to flags being mounted on trucks. I distinctly remember going into the YMCA I worked at then and talking with some of the seniors there about this and sharing with them that as amazing as it is to see this patriotism, it will fade away – quickly. It did and we as a country went back to “as usual.”

Another example: the multiples of school shootings that we have experienced since 2000. There have been over 275 of these shootings, all involve colleges and schools. Yet all of these shootings and many want better, stronger gun laws – ridiculous! You want a gun, you’ll get a gun, no law will stop that. The country continues down the path of “as usual” creating laws, creating rules, yet ignoring the mental health crisis that exists.

Last one , I already touched on it: Pandemic. People have been so anxious to return to “as usual” at almost any cost. Many places today you go everything looks “normal.” I say too normal. I think that soap as a basic should be available in businesses and I also think that some sort of social distancing isn’t a bad thing.

Everyone is in a hurry to get back to “normal” or “as usual” but this bothers me, no this scares me. This country, that many men and women have gone to battle for us to have our freedom and many of them have died while doing this seem to be forgotten. In fact our Vice President recently tweeted that we should enjoy the long weekend, but no mention of Memorial Day or remembrance of. Yes, enjoy the weekend, but remember why we even get to have this weekend.

Americans as a whole are running around like a bunch teenagers who they are invincible, yet we know better – right? I mean we work, we marry, we have debt, we get sick, we eventually die, but things along the way will influence if not change your life – none of us are invincible. Let’s be real with each other – was “normal” really working for us, any of us? MANY things are great, but MANY things also need attention, changing, healing, etc.

“As usual?” Perhaps, but I am taking a pass on this and working towards a better me, life, family, church, etc. Why be / stay normal when each of us has the ability to achieve something greater and influence the world – literally the world.

Thanks for stopping by the fire,

Pastor Dennis