TWITTERING

From My Perspective - - -

We live in a world of sound-bites and abbreviated messages. Some of these messages are understood by those oriented to social network shorthand, whereas others have to guess at meanings and intent to written words and abbreviations. There were various comments made on Twitter about and by the Boston Bombers. On Friday evening, there were two Twitters that had great import and purpose. The first pertained to the capture of the surviving bomber. On the CNN Webpage, the terse and welcomed message from the Boston Police Department states: “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody." The second CNN report continues: “A few minutes later, a more somber tweet followed as Boston heaved a sigh of relief: "In our time of rejoicing, let us not forget the families of Martin Richard, Lingzi Ly, Krystle Campbell and Officer Sean Collier."

It is the statement of the second Twitter that should give us pause and reflection – Four people senselessly killed and almost 180 injured and some incapacitated. Many lives have been impacted and altered. The horror of the moment – just 20 seconds between blasts – has changed lives for a lifetime. However, while the Boston Bombing story was unfolding, there was also the explosion in West, Texas that killed, injured and impacted many; and the Earthquake in China where the death toll may include many thousands; as well as more shootings and deaths in Chicago; etc. We live in a world of great need and considerable pain. It seems as though terrible events are accelerating and possible relief is waning. Who is capable of summarizing these difficult times in a terse Twitter?

In an Opinion article for the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer wrote (released on Sunday, April 21) and entitled his remarks – The Language Of Terrorism. He began by stating: “Terrorism is speech - speech that gathers its audience by killing innocents as theatrically as possible. The 19th-century anarchist Paul Brousse called it "propaganda by deed." Accordingly, the Boston Marathon attack, the first successful terror bombing in the United States since 9/11, was designed for maximum effect. At the finish line, there would be not only news cameras but also hundreds of personal videos to amplify the message…” The entry includes the following thoughts: “There was much ado about President Obama’s nonuse of the word “terrorism” in his first statement to the nation after the bombing. Indeed, the very next morning, he took to the White House briefing room for no other reason than to pronounce the event an “act of terrorism.” He justified the update as a response to “what we now know.” But there had been no new information overnight. Nothing changed, except a certain trepidation about the original omission. There was no need to be so sensitive, however. The president said that terrorism is any bombing aimed at civilians. Not quite. Terrorism is any attack on civilians for a political purpose. Until you know the purpose, you can’t know if it is terrorism…Nonetheless, the president’s nonuse of the word was no big deal. Why then was he so sensitive that he came out the next morning to correct the omission? Answer: Benghazi, in which the administration had been roundly and correctly criticized for refusing to call it terrorism for so long…”

If we were to Twitter from a truly Christian perspective, what would one write? Here’s one thought – Proverbs 16:4, “The Lord works out everything for his own ends - even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Another could be Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Also, Romans 1:20, “God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse…” Part of the reason for the state of the world, and sadly the so-called “Christian Church” is summarized in I Timothy 4:1-3, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” Sadly, we have arrived at and are living in that time. Consider these things with me.