Shills and Shells

Lately, I found myself thinking about the many distractions that interfere with achieving intentions and objectives. The cause of this rumination was turning in my sleep and realizing I had gone to sleep with one earring on, having removed the other. Upon removing the first earring, I thought about making a phone call and down the rabbit hole I went, forgetting to return to the task of the moment. This was not the first time interruptions deterred me from completing a task, and I know I am not the only one who is disrupted and disturbed by distractions that come, especially in these current days when disruptions are manifesting as chaos around us.

The distractions seem constant, not only disrupting the personal, but also the social obligations and communal goals we set for ourselves. As we attend to the commitments for social change and try to attend to the injustices which are evident daily in our society, the art of distraction seems to be at work, inserting wedges in the ability to provide organization and focus to social issues. The distractions of the day are embedded in the volume of executive orders, in the issues being broadcast in the 24/7 news cycle, in the issues that are ignored, and in the suffering being imposed upon many. Our attention is needed for the long haul, for the issues we identify as important. The distractions not only move us away from the priorities,  they are also exhausting.

If we want to see change, then we must be focused on realizing the change we want to see. Those who practice the art of distraction do so to manipulate and dictate the responses of the populous, even as they choose to dictate the agenda of the day and the critical issues that hold our focus. Paying attention to the priorities we name, means choosing how and when to respond. Deportees are landing in prisons in countries not of their origin. Executive orders are being written and executed at a rate hard to catch up to; there were 151 at last count. Rule of law is being ignored. The constitution is being threatened. Democracy is teetering. Disinformation is generated daily. Patriotism has been coopted and confused with nationalism. Christians and Christianity are once again complicit in facilitating dis-ease and distress.

Meanwhile, the health secretary is out swimming in sewage infested waters. The president sees no problem with accepting a $400 million dollar airplane. The federal budget was pushed through the House Budget Committee on a Sunday night. The Supreme Court ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans with only one judge dissenting. And, Gaza is still under siege, with attacks escalating, and the death toll steadily rising. All of these were in the news, some garnering more outrage and attention than others.

Too much to watch and too little time. The things of importance are being overshadowed by the trifling. The news is filled with the mundane while anger, fear and anxiety are being fueled daily. Some days, I feel like I am watching a rigged shell game being played on a street corner where money is being lost to the shill at the table and pockets are being picked in the crowd gathered to watch. Nobody is safe, and everyone is losing because this is not a game created for people to win. There are no spectators, no bystanders, all present are targets of the big con. The shell game itself is the primary distraction increasing the vulnerability of the crowd.

There has not been a time when the church was not called to be present in speaking truth to power, bringing attention to the quest for justice and the need for systemic change. This is juxtaposed with the silence of the church and the institutional complicity in upholding the very issues we are called to change. The years hold the evidence of both, and in this moment, when the church needs to give voice to the problems of this day, and advocate for change, the distractions keep coming.

We are called to examine every item that tries to grab our attention, remaining focused on the challenges which lie before us, then determine the response needed as we advocate for justice and change. Every outrage does not require our time. Every antic does not require our attention. The distractions are a major part of every shell game. The more distracted we are, the more we are guaranteed to lose.