News flash: It turns out that everything on the internet isn’t always true! Who knew?
by the Rev. Bob LaVallee
Friday, April 10, 2020
During our vespers service this past Wednesday, I read a lovely poem that I thought was entitled “Something Lovely” and that was attributed to Kathleen O’Meara, an Irish writer who lived during the plagues in Ireland. Turns out I was wrong on both counts! A thoughtful congregant went looking for that poem and it turns to have been written by Kitty O’Meara in 2020. It did seem a little prescient for the time, especially in the references to healing the earth. Sorry about that!
It’s certainly a truth of our time that it’s harder to be sure about the information that we receive. The problem starts right at the top, with an Administration that lies, omits, and misrepresents as often as it tells the truth. And the savviest of us still get caught by convincing falsehoods now and again. As an example, let me insert this here: The ministers at this church will never ask you for a special gift or off-cycle donation over a one-on-one email. If you receive a request for money from us in that fashion, please call us or the office to check. Better safe than sorry.
In a world of hucksters, how are we to know what’s true, what’s right? I could start a rant on media literacy, but there’s a larger question. We have inside and outside means for testing truth: On the outside there’s evidence, history, and conveyed knowledge. On the inside is our experience, reason, and intuition. Are any of these means perfect? Absolutely not. That means that our best option is find a balance of inside and outside. That balance will always shift but generally we know if we’re completely ignoring a strong intuition or compelling evidence from credible sources, we’re out of balance.
Balance is a muscle. It gets better with use. In these isolation days, I invite folks to consider their own balance, and how to flex it. I hope that this practice grounds you and brings you some clarity in a foggy world. May you all be as well (and balanced) as you can be.
