Eric’s Sunday Sermon; “Trending Now”

Next to a news feed that reads like a bad tabloid they have “Trending Now”. I just assumed I knew what “Trending Now” meant. I mean “trend” and “now” are pretty simple notions. As a note; with the “ing” ending for trend “now” is basically superfluous. But perhaps that is intentional. So trending now in its simplest form means what the most people on the net are interested in at that moment. Out of ten I got 3 that I understood. Coronavirus, Auto insurance and water filters. Scary on the water filters. Do people think that protects us against a virus? It is the opposite. Chemicals in public water kills things (like your gut).

The rest of the trending stuff were names of what appeared to be celebrities. No, not leaders of countries or heroes. But people who become famous for strictly socialite reasons. Looks like I need to pay more attention if that is what the majority of people are looking at and talking about. Probably I should get cable and watch live TV. Or do you just do that with Wi-Fi now? If the majority dictates appropriate more’s then I am in big trouble.

I asked my ten year old and he knew the names of a few. Something to do with YouTube videos that go viral. With the Coronavirus deal ,maybe they should change the whole “going viral” term. You could just say “huge”. But that might be offensive to us huge people. Trending and Political Correctness put together is interesting. Apparently it is now politically correct to drop foul language like the F bomb. But being related in some way to Thomas Jefferson is trending badly right now.

Lightning tends to kill about 10,000 of us humans a year with 100’s of thousands seriously injured – every year. Why is Coronavirus trending but lightning is not? Why don’t people go stock up on rubberized clothing? How come the regular flus which have already killed over 10,000 in the U.S.A. this season. Why isn’t that trending?

Texting/distracted driving takes about 5,000 lives a year just here in the US and for sure injures more that 500,000 innocent people. Like 4 times more than terrorism globally. Why isn’t that trending. A side note; a lady was texting and ran over someone. She was texting about the coronavirus. Is that ironic?

If the fore going seems a bit random and jumping all around the place good, it is meant to be. Trending is just like that.

In my own little world fish is trending. Yes having to do with Lent notions. But I am not a card carrying Catholic. My wife is a full member of Russian Orthodox. My young son is all “praise Jesus” stuff. The rest of my family – extended included, are very spiritual and not at all religious. Those strictly spiritual folks are what is trending. Funny about that. Full spiritual people like to bash religions, can you see the disconnect on that trend. Trending in the spiritual has no logic. Atheism has no logic either, it just trends among certain groups and mindsets. Most people do not understand that spirituality and religion actually have their own logic sub set. Just believe me, I have a fancy degree in such matters and about 3,000 hours preaching about it which means about 12,000 hours studying it post graduate. If 1 + 1 equals 2 then Love plus Love is synergistic and thereby more than 2 loves. If the 1 + 1 is a marital unit then the two equal more than the simple combination of the two.

Now back to trending now. I attract attention in gatherings. Nothing special at all about me. I remember faces and background stuff. I like to check up on folks from our last conversations. I am interested in the shape of their 3 grandkids or latest car problems. Some folks read magazine type stuff. I spend my time reading people.

So when I enter a room/gathering, people become interested in telling me the latest and what horrible advice I gave the time before. Someone asked me what I thought about the latest “Survival” episode. I told them straight up, “That one team has it going on but I think they have an issue coming up that will knock them sideways.” Nods all around. I have never ever nor will I watch an episode of “Survival”. But it trends sometimes and my son said that one of those names was a contestant on another show. Well maybe I am not trending but I am tending to my garden and tending not to give a rat’s buttocks.

Yes this Sermon is late. I wrote a 1,500 word one for a few days and ready by last night. By this morning it was not trending for me. So I trended outside. And tended to the moon with my binoculars. I think I am intentionally using the word wrong.

What trends for me is not really trending. It needs a lot of folks. Ben Franklin once wrote to George Washington, his boss at the time something like this; A fool sir is still a fool and the mere fact that you gather them by the multitudes only aggravates the situation. Seems cognizant to me.

So isn’t that all funny about trending. Wringing hands about that which has a less than .0001% chance of killing you tops the charts of what is “popular” to talk about. To date it is less than lightning strikes.

Now it seems to me that from Hindi to Native American to Middle Africa and Christianity, Islam, Jewish and Buddhist we have a theme not to gossip. Like as though it is a sin. And let us be true here, normally it is mixed with lies. And thou shall not lie is quite universal. So if I read about Angela Jupiter and then comment without even knowing Ms. Jupiter is that wrong? So are millions and billions of posts just plain wrong? Well sheer numbers tell you we have a sincere spiritual problem. And here I am gossiping about the gossipers.

For all you old timers like me, check out this trend. Hot Wheels and Match Box cars and tracks. Well now they have them that can be remotely steered via an IPad. And yes, my son did extra work to get his set. A child working for extras is trending in our home. Ok it is not even trending. I like the stuff more than the boy – not a trend, just as old as the hills. He has one of my 1968 cars. Boys love cars. My eldest daughter knows them better.

Easy does it. Which Diva is best is alright to deal with. I hope it is a good hobby for you. I think you should express your feelings on such matters. Or maybe you will not express them at all, what a waste that would be.

So I took a good hard look and then my lady sent me to the store and a 250 lb gal grabbed a tabloid in front of me. Perhaps that is the most umph she has all day. I need to mind my manners and judge not lest I be judged. Easy said, and hard done.

If I can love a bunny rabbit then I need to find a way to love a trending maker and follower. Perhaps I could call them foreigners and invite them in for a spell and juice. They may need the respite and I reckon I got an extra chair. They are more normal than I am.