The Roman Empire is filled with misery, but it is luxurious. It is dying, but it laughs. —Savinus, 5th century
I guess we might as well eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we die.
Have you ever noticed the change in poses of great men in government, education, industry; whose photos or paintings line the corridors of their institutions?
Go back 75 years or more. They weren’t smiling then. Their looks were serious, somber. Maybe, like George Washington, their false teeth hurt. Maybe they just had a fight with their wives. Or their bosses just gave them the pink slip.
I don’t think so. Life didn’t use to be a collection of anecdotes. A man’s eloquence and mastery wasn’t measured by his level of gregariousness and ability to make light of dour circumstances. He didn’t find it necessary to seduce an audience.
But today’s presidents, CEOs, preachers, chairmen, principals – must all project an image. It must be one of affability as well as capability; bravado, not courage; depth (not width); allure, but the rock star kind. You know they’re better than you because they know it.
Look at the pictures at the post office of POTUS. Yeah, we know what he’s smiling about!
Now, think back to the paintings you’ve seen of Jonathan Edwards, or if you’re really brave, John Calvin. Can you imagine any modern preacher delivering one of their sermons? Of course not. The congregation would have them in straight-jackets before the fourteenth repetition of the eighteenth praise song, if they tried.
When did our leaders begin to wear these silly masks and act the part of entertainers? When the only entertainment people had was on the live stage, or in the home at family gatherings, leaders felt no compunction to adopt these demeanors.
It has something to do with the takeover of images. Media that are dominated by images, dominate people’s lives now. Nothing is recognized or believed unless it is seen—especially on a screen.
The prime image-disseminators are the so-called “smart” objects with which mankind has been enslaved. They are not smart at all. They are merely programmed devices. And the people using them are essentially outsourcing the very things that define us as sentient, soulful beings. Do you remember anyone’s phone number now? Your own phone number? Didn’t think so. And for some reason, you can’t put the phone down. It’s calling you even when no one’s trying to get a hold of you.
After years of owning a computer, my husband and I finally dumped ours. I sat down that evening to play some games of solitaire – the ones I played on the computer. For the life of me, I didn’t know where to begin – except with the simple version I had grown up playing. Without the auto setup and mouse clicks, I was lost. The machine had succeeded in re-programing me and I couldn’t play its games without it.
Our brains are not computers. But they do have a form of wiring that operates somewhat like a computer. All this techno junk is re-wiring us.
Do you care?
You really believe you are connected by the popular social media and your email accounts?
Honestly?
I sat next to a woman on a bus bench today. The gal was busy texting someone. Then she called the person and asked if he/she had received the text. I asked her why she duplicated the communication. What is the point of all this? She said she just wanted to make sure the person got the text. Do you see how ridiculous this is? Never mind the moms and dads, accompanied by their kids never even speaking to them because they are busy talking/texting to…WHO?
Blunt transition, folks. Years ago, Christians were quick to brag about how they would never get in line for that famous mark of the beast. Nope, not them. They’d know better.
You all! You’re already wired. The goal of the transhumanists is to connect every human being to the Web, the cloud, whatever you want to call this evil thing. For all practical purposes, it’s already happened. The under-the-skin version is ready to go and so many will get it. Most certainly, the young people will. When confronted with this, they couldn’t be more enthusiastic.
You’re in. It’s just a matter of time before the Antichrist adds his name to it. That’s the mark. The transition will be seamless, natural, and essential. If you want to do commerce or eat.
Did you think the enemy would not be subtle? So, the very elderly folks will know better. (They’re going to die soon anyway.) But the young people and their middle-aged parents (sometimes grandparents) don’t see what’s happened.
They are stuck on social media sites addicted to group think, praise responses from their “friends” lapping up gratification and adulation; they are approval junkies. And the more trendy upscale “Gotta have it” Christians – what I refer to as the LatteLexies with fake fingernails and glorious McMansions – totally dig this scene.
I do use a computer in my local library. It suits my needs quite well. I always feel relieved when I walk through my front door knowing I will not be seduced into spending all my time in techno-slavery.
Luxurious, laughing empire. Dying in misery. The nanny-state will keep the bread and circuses coming. Don’t worry. With your face in the clouds, you’re never alone.
“It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2).