Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Television, Computers and my heart

I have not written in awhile , and even now I wonder at the purpose of writing to the unknown blog world. Sometimes, though, my heart is so filled with emotions, I must write for the dam not to overflow.

Yesterday while on the Internet I read of a depressed soldier who had killed 5 fellow soldiers in Iraq. It would be just as tragic if it were at home in the USA, but the added distance factor felt particularly sad for the families involved. My former sister-in-law Karen is safe, thank God, as she is at that same base.

Then I heard of a 6 year old boy run down while playing in the street, by a randomly careless person, who fled the scene. Thankfully, not near my city, nor anyone I know.

On my friend's Facebook page was news of and request for prayer for a 9 year old seriously hurt in an accident. I think he is healing.

My friend Pam has been driving back and forth to Virginia this week as her dad had a serious illness, and he is an older gentleman, so her fear factor kicks in at an unwanted and more rapid rate.My dad is gone already, empathy kicks in.

A deck of party goers collapsed this week in NJ sending many ambulances scrambling to the scene. Nobody died, so that one is OK.

My co-worker had her 50 year old girlfriend trip as her foot caught in her pants cuff, sending her tumbling down the stairs, causing a head hit that concealed a blood clot, which 2 days later gave her a stroke. She lies in the hospital on a ventilator with an unknown future. Not my friend.

Last night I watched the television series 24. Jack Bauer seems to always be saving the world from disaster while enduring great personal discomfort. He is the series hero, no doubt, with many followers. In one particularly gruesome scene, he pummeled his old friend Tony, trying to coerce information from him, all the time himself dying of a radiation exposure illness.
I was left filled with emotional stress, heart pumping, anticipation for the next hour to tick by....

What is happening here to the heart and soul of the human race? To MY heart and soul?? Which events that I just described evoked more compassion or pain or burdened your emotions? Which tragedy tugged at your heart, caused tears to fill your eyes or made you want to know more? Have you discovered or searched any further to know names of victims, circumstances of families, longed for addresses to send a card of comfort or a word of kindness to?

Have you seen if 24 is a new episode next week for the finale or just a rerun, whether it is a two hour special or only a final one hour?

I do not want to stop watching Jack save the world.
I do not want to stop reading and watching the news.
I do not want to stop caring for people.

But seriously, where is the heart and soul headed if we do not make a concerted effort to think about the real people, the hurting lives around us, the homes hit by sadness that only God can heal?

Maybe that is what we have summer reruns for - a good time to care about the people outside the BOX.

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