As Zoomers pondered the miracle of Christmas and prepared for the challenges of an uncertain 2021, they looked back on the opportunities of the past year. Throughout 10 months of Zooming they had been exposed to ideas and circumstances that previously might have slipped into the back corners of their minds; those same situations sat up now and demanded attention. The immigrant child crying for its mother let us know that “no room in the inn” was still a very real plight in our world. The recent glut of post-election misinformation made us value anew the truth and justice born into the world two thousand years ago in Bethlehem.
With that miraculous birth in mind, we focused this week on justice issues and the pervasive influence of social media in our lives today. Though digital communication is potentially a valuable contributor to society, we saw that in the wrong hands, it is capable of broadcasting even our most secret thoughts to the world at large. We saw also that this same technology is able to spew hatred and contempt throughout large segments of society. What a sharp contrast to angelic messengers that proclaimed to the world tidings of hope and promise for the future.
Today’s widespread availability of smart phones and computers has encouraged many to depend solely on them for analysis of current events. Little time is spent checking beyond surface meaning, thus risking the spread of “fake news.” Reliable communication cannot be disseminated in a quick tweet or email. It is worth noting that the Three Wisemen of biblical renown spent months following a star before they knelt in the presence of Wisdom Incarnate.
