He Who Controls the Narrative

Some of our present challenges involve information. Who can we trust? What's true, what's not? And what is it about our nature that causes us anxiety when we don't understand the narrative? Even worse, what is it that makes us think we need to defend or control one narrative over another?

We give authority to the news outlets or social media services or rumors or conspiracy theories that we decide are the correct ones, the truth sources we judge as right and true. What COVID information do I agree with, and what must I toss out? What am I to think about the election given who is reporting the election? Can I live in tension while the legal process works? What should I expect for the future? How we answer these questions often shape our worldview, what we think of COVID, how we feel about the government, and even how we think about our involvement with the narrative.

It's complicated.

On the one hand, I see the numbers and the reporting of COVID, contrasted against the many people I know who weathered Coronavirus like a cold, again juxtaposed against the strange COVID-funeral I recently officiated. I see some social media information contested or censored while other stuff is not. I even posted a silly joke on social media only to have someone argue about how it's not how social media works. (No kidding, I doubt Paul Revere posted anything to social media on April 18, 1775. No need for argument or fact-checking.) It's a strange time, and it's exhausting to know what's real and what is not. My soul wants to feel the comfort of knowing the truth.

On the other hand, when I don't know what's true or right, I feel the need to judge information by my own desire for what I want to be correct. I'm trying to dictate the truth for myself. I see a narrative being controlled and manipulated, and I realize that I'm the one feeding myself the narrative that I desire to control. It gets even worse when I want to defend one news source over another or argue with other people who have just as flawed information as I have. And I bristle when others want me to adopt their manipulated and flawed narrative of loose details. We are all arguing for what is right in our own eyes. Sounds just like the book of Judges, doesn't it?

Before we propagate our desired narrative, we should explore truth.

As Christians, this shouldn't be too complicated. Christians believe that God is the source of all meaningful truth. His revelation, the Bible, serves as the ultimate and final authority of truth. Does this mean we can open up the Bible and find out who won the election or if singing in church will increase the possible spread of COVID-19? No. The Bible doesn't work like that. It deals with much more important things, like how we love God and love each other, how we can be reunited to God, saved from sin, sanctified, and eventually glorified in eternity with our Lord.

The Bible gives us direction to the anchor in the storm. COVID and elections and news media and conspiracies and presidential policies and supreme court rulings are just a single wave in a sea of storms. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves, Peter started going under the sea. (Matthew 14:22-32.) Jesus is our anchor, and his Word is Truth.

Here's how the Bible speaks into things like COVID and elections. Here is but a small sample of how Jesus should be our ark in a storm-flooded world. Find comfort in his truth.

"I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will" (Isaiah 46:10).

"May desire a ruler's favor, but a person receives justice from the Lord" (Proverbs 29:26).

"He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding" (Daniel 2:21)

"God is our refuge and strength, a helper is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountain topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil" (Psalm 46:1-3).

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).

"Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

"When the wicked increase, rebellion increases, but the righteous will see their downfall" (Proverbs 29:16).

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world" (John 16:33).

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:6-7).

"I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any circumstances I have learned the secret of being content--whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:12-13).

"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

As more information comes at you and circumstances are continually changing, remember who your anchor is. Continue to abide in the Lord.

And should things go ways you don't like--COVID gets worse or COVID lessens and we start to relax in ways you're not ready for; we learn the vaccine works or the vaccine doesn't work and kills the first ten-thousand who try it; Biden wins the election or the process of recounting and the legal reviews determine Trump won; we discover COVID is not as bad as we think or it's much worse; baby Yoda turns out to be an evil sith-lord; or anything else the world is freaked out about--let us remember the Truth we have from God's Word, the Bible. Let us put our eyes on Jesus, always.