Lies, Hate and Divisiveness

Do you ever find yourself repeating a one-liner you’ve heard from a TV ad, or humming the tune or singing the words of a catchy commercial? I know I have, and at times it can be most annoying. It gets stuck in my cranial matter and follows me throughout the day. However, sometimes the one-liner, tune, or commercial turns out to be a winner. For example…do you recall the IKEA “Start the car!” commercial popular ten years ago? (Check it out on YouTube…it’s hilarious! In 2017 the ad was chosen by Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as one of the top 10 essential ads of Canadian Cinema History.) Go figure! Three simple words and a bit of drama and it goes down in history!

I’m sure if I left you to yourself for the next few minutes you might find your brain awakening to catchy tunes that have followed you throughout life. But let me help you. What about the ditty, “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!” A famous slogan for the antacid product, Alka Seltzer that was originally aired in 1976 and remade in 2002.

And then there are the animated cereal ads of the 50s that infiltrated the minds of children. Each product had its own captivating jingle that children gravitated to and pressured their moms into buying it. Do you recall the cute little Snap, Crackle and Pop characters of Rice Krispies? The YouTube video will most assuredly bring a smile. You might even find your toe tapping. And of course, Frosted Flakes, Sugar Pops, Cheerios, Kangaroo Frosted Flakes and Tony the Tiger, to name just a few, were on the must-have list. Some survived the test of time, others went the way many products go…off the shelf and into oblivion.

So what’s the point of my rambling on about harmless jingles or ads? Because I read an advertisement recently that brought me up short. I don’t feel the need to promote the product; I just want to take your thoughts in another direction with the use of their ad.

In a world where the algorithm biases lies, hate, and divisiveness,
where negative news travels five times faster than positive news,
we prefer happiness, togetherness and doing good.

Let me rephrase it for clarity.

In a society where a set of rules favours lies, hate, and divisiveness,
where negative news travels five times faster than positive news,
we prefer happiness, togetherness and doing good.

This ad, preceded by the statement, “we are on a mission to save humanity” has bothered me since reading it. I have been left wondering, Are there individuals in our world, in our current society, who actually “favour lies, hate, and divisiveness”? Would you agree that bad news tends to travel much faster than anything positive? News is news; I get that, and I understand that it’s important to be aware of what’s happening around us and in the world at large, but to think that good news takes a back seat to bad news is disturbing. Of course, I would be wrong in suggesting that heartwarming stories never reach the listening audience. But how often does that happen, or are these heartwarming stories overshadowed by violence, murder, and corruption? Is it possible that holding back good news has become a means of fearmongering? Or am I off base in thinking that? With respect to the quote above, Are there those in our society, perhaps in leadership who favour lies, hate, and divisiveness, who tend to fan public fear and support the old adage, “Divide and Conquer” in order to accomplish their hidden agenda? (The divide and rule policy (Latin: divide et impera), or divide and conquer, in politics and sociology is gaining and maintaining power divisively.) I read recently that the loudest voices we hear are from those who advocate conflict and divisiveness. And the Bible is not silent on this. Romans 16:18 states that divisive people are self-serving [“serving their own appetites”] and use their “smooth talk and flattery” to deceive the minds of naïve people.

Lies, hate and divisiveness are strong words that become more powerful when put into practice. When decisions are made from this mindset that affect the masses, when decisions are made from this mindset that are beyond the control of the average individual, how does one respond? How should one respond? Of course it’s wonderful to state that “we prefer happiness, togetherness and doing good.” What a healthy approach to life. But how does one go about that when a set of rules is forced on a society, perhaps by a minority? What does one do when one longs for happiness and togetherness and has a passion to do good but finds they are controlled by those whose focus is driven by lies, hate and divisiveness? I realize that I’ve come a long way from discussing harmless advertisement jingles to sharing such thoughts and asking such questions, but I feel compelled to put it out there, wondering if I’m alone in this line of thinking.

Having said all this, I would be remiss if I did not share one last thought: my faith in the future. Yes, I believe that society is desperately divided over multiple issues, many very destructive. Yes, I believe that as a society we are struggling with the direction we seem to be going, some would suggest the way of the sewer. But I cannot refrain from quoting a line in a song sung by Elvis Presley: “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”

Despite the turmoil, the challenges, and certainly the divisiveness, the lies and the hate, history has proven over centuries that God is the One in control. Nations and world leaders have come and gone, but since time began God has proven to have the final say. In that I am content.

For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:28

He rules by His might forever;
His eyes keep watch on the nations;
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.
Psalm 66:7

* Known Only to Him