A couple of days ago, I wrote a post about the state of this world, but almost as soon as I posted it, I took it back down. I was frustrated and a little angry when I wrote it.

Then I reread it yesterday and reposted it, and then took it down again. I know, I’m indecisive. But mostly it’s because I meant, and still mean, every single thing I said, but I realize that I needed to communicate it better. So let’s try this one last time.

We are all aware by now of the massacre in New Zealand. 49 people are dead and it’s horrific. The idea that even a place of worship isn’t safe is quite unsettling to us as Americans (although not really all that uncommon in other places around the world). Among the wounded and the dead are very young children. It’s appalling. There are 49 lives that are gone from this world and for that WE MUST MOURN.

Once the media started covering this with fervor, all of a sudden all these articles pop up everywhere on Facebook saying, but wait look! Look at all these Christians that were massacred in Nigeria and there’s hardly any coverage about it! The world isn’t allowed to mourn for Muslims without equally mourning Christians. We must equally divide our outrage. But Christians being killed in Nigeria isn’t new. This conflict is and has been ongoing.

Incidentally, with a little research, I’m finding that the conflict in Nigeria is just as much about fighting over land between herders and farmers as is it about religion. (Also, I read an article saying that sometime in February, there were around 131 Fulani (Muslims) herdsmen killed by Adara (Christian) farmers in retaliation of an earlier dispute.) Fact is, there’s been conflict between Muslims/Christians/herdsmen/farmers for decades. People have been dying in Nigeria for decades. And because of that, WE MUST MOURN.

Not that long ago, Jewish worshippers in Pennsylvania were murdered in their synagogue. Not that long ago, over 100 were either wounded or killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando. Not that long ago, there were multiple active shooter situations in our schools. Not that long ago, people were killed because of the color of their skin.

Do you see what I’m saying? It’s not about one-upping. It’s not about my tragedy being worse than yours. These are all equally awful. These lives are all gone. And for that WE MUST MOURN.

It’s so easy to just hit forward or share…sometimes without even reading an article. I’ve been guilty of it myself. Of letting myself be outraged by comparison when in reality, there is something awful happening in this world on a minute by minute basis. We let the media decide for us about what’s most important at the moment and we act all befuddled that one thing gets coverage and another thing doesn’t. But the attention span of the American public is equal to that of a gnat and if you wait five minutes, you’ll have a brand new thing to be upset about. It’s like riding on a roller coaster. One minute you’re up in the air and the very next next flying down heading for the next climb. And frankly I’m tired of the ride.