Author: Dr. J.D. Wilkins

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Does privacy really even exist anymore?  In a world where technology invades every aspect of our lives, one has to wonder.  What was easily once hidden, is becoming increasingly impossible, due to several issues.

Hackers, the dark net, big brother, social media, fake media, all represent real-time challenges which we couldn’t even comprehend 20 years ago.  These might have been corporate issues, or government issues, but private life issues, no way.  Anyone can lose their identity or their privacy in a heartbeat today.  Those who like ostriches sticking their heads in the sand, ignoring the reality of personal threats, are the most vulnerable.  Facebook is one of the best examples.  There is a certain amount of security available to the average user, that is completely lost on a large majority of its users, or just ignored altogether.  Simply taking the time to protect the data on this social media stream, might go a long way to protecting your privacy vulnerability in other areas.

In addition, unfortunately, our “open-book” culture, brought about by the media’s constant mantra, “the public has a right to know,” has also bred into people’s mind they have a right to know everything about everyone.  So, for example, if someone wants to know my private thoughts, or demands information about the details of my life, if I don’t offer it up freely then I “must” be hiding something evil, right?  What if I just don’t want to share every intimate detail of my life?  Don’t I have a right to my privacy?

Again, according to some, that depends on who you are.  We’ve been convinced that we should know every private detail of a public servants life, after all that person is serving at my elected vote.  Does that mean we should be privy to every detail of the life of our newly elected President? His 10 year old son? His wife? His other children? Their children?  This idea of transparency has now shifted to not just public servants, but to the populace in general.

Privacy issues are getting complicated.  Between technological issues, and transparency issues, I’m not even sure it even exists anymore.

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More often than not this word is used in the business world today describing a radical change in industry, or an innovative business strategy to change previous models, etc. It could involve the introduction of a new technology, or product line, or service creating a whole new market.  Think: Henry Ford and the horseless carriage.

I read an article today by David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times, titled: “We’ve crowned a fool the king of carnival culture.” It was a compelling article for sure, and worthy of someone’s attention.  Crossing the wide span of history, from King David in the Old Testament, through the carnival culture of the middle ages, Brook’s article captures the thought of “disruption.” Of course he leads us, like horses to water, and lays the foundation for his thoughts on President-elect Donald Trump.  Brooks writes, “His tweets are classic fool behavior, raw, ridiculous and often self-destructive. He takes on a cultural icon and he throws mud at it. The point is not the message. It’s to symbolically upend hierarchy, to be oppositional.”

History indeed repeats itself.  The democrats thought Abraham Lincoln a fool too.  The Jews thought Jesus a fool.  The ancient Hebrews thought Moses a fool.  Am I suggesting that Donald Trump is equal to Lincoln, Moses, or Jesus?  Not really.  I’m just playing the fool to get someone to quit thinking linearly, and start thinking dynamically at the “what if’s.”

What if emptying the pond of elite politicians, and the rhetoric of celebrities and pundits, leads America finally to regain a foothold, and stand up for truth?  What if one man, who recognizes he is just a man, like Lincoln did, like Moses did, being disruptive and tweeting, can indeed spur us on to greatness?  Do we allow a future former-President to have a louder, more influential voice, causing greater division in our country?  How can we stop this madness?  How is what is going on in our country today any less dangerous and radical than the idea of ending slavery?

These are questions I wrestle with. I wonder if you do too?  Disruption is seldom invited, since it is seen by the protectors of the status quo as evil incarnate.  Today, many wise men whose lives are directly tied to the slave population of our early history, know the truth.  It was Lincoln and his followers, along with Dr. King and his followers, who were disruptive enough to make a real difference in this country.  The proof of Trump’s presidency will be seen in the future.  Have we crowned the fool the king of the carnival?  We’ll see.

Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a Danish word capturing the idea of a feeling or mood that occurs when taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary, every-day-moments more meaningful or special.  According to Hygge House: 

“Whether it’s making coffee a verb by creating a ritual of making it then lingering over a cup to a cosy evening in with friends, to the simple act of lighting a candle with every meal. Hygge is being aware of a good moment whether it’s simple or special.

Some refer to hygge as an “art of creating intimacy” (either with yourself, friends and your home). While there’s no one English word to describe hygge, several can be used interchangeably to describe the idea of hygge such as cosiness, charm, happiness, contentedness, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness.”

Here’s the thing. While the Danes may have created hygge because they were trying to survive the cold, dark, sameness of days and months inside away from the cold, I don’t think they have a corner on the concept.  For example, I remember the day in this photo so well.  Playing golf in Colorado, in August, with my best friend, was an extraordinarily good time.  Being outside, involved in my favorite sport, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation with “nature-girl”, was exquisite.

This morning I awoke to clouds and fog and drizzle, but I spent my time basking in the quite of my office while I drank coffee.  It was beautiful.  And, I like this word “hygge,” because it captures the idea of choice.  So many people are consumed with having to be entertained, seeking thrills, or otherwise having some outside stimulus  bring meaning to their lives.  The choice we all have, every single day, is to be self-aware, environment-aware, and others-aware, and see thousands of opportunity to make simple moments meaningful or special.

It could be as simple as walking right up to your best friend, and saying, “You are my best friend. You make my life special just by knowing you!” Try it, you might like it. Find the contentment, security, comfort and kinship, that simple words and actions bring when you live to enrich someone else’s life besides your own.

And really who cares right?  It’s Saturday all day long, but nobody really pays attention. The weekend is for lounging around, watching the tube, catching some zzz’s, eating what you want, and trying not to feel guilty about it.

See what I’m saying here?

It won’t be long now.  When my momma used to say, “one day at a time,” it didn’t really register with me.  Recently though, this once trite phrase has resounded like the watchtower bell for me.  24 hours in a day, 1440 minutes, 86400 seconds, the shorter the time quantification, the greater the number.  Reality dictates that regardless of what unit of measurement I choose to quantify a “day,” I can neither add to or take away from these measurements.  They are fixed in our time-space continuum, and my life is governed by the limitations imposed.  Not only can I not add “time,” I am powerless to speed it up or slow it down.  Time marches on, one day at a time.  Profound, huh?

Not really.  I only occasionally wax poetic/philosophical when trying to make a point of where our focus should be.  We think forward or backward so much that we miss now.  Here is the really cool thing I’ve discovered about knowing the Creator.  God’s time paradigm is always “now.”  Think of how God introduced Himself to Moses, “I Am.”  In this name we discover not just God’s name, but a primary attribute of His nature and character.  God declares that He is eternal, with no time or space constraints.  From God’s perspective on His throne, all of my time on this earth is always “now” to Him.  God does not age as I age, His divine nature knows nothing of age as I know it.  Every moment I live, every breath I take, God is now.

Jesus made the claim, “the Father and I are one.”  Inherent in this statement, by reason and deduction, we understand Jesus to mean that while here on earth He may have been limited physically by human constraints as we are.  Yet, in context of His message, Jesus is eternally “now,” just as God the Father is.  Jesus told His disciples that when He left to go back to heaven, He would send a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would abide inside every believer.  The Holy Spirit has the same divine attribute of “now” that Jesus the Son and God the Father enjoy.  Limitless, timeless and ever-present are just three of the eternal characteristics of God.

One day at a time takes on a whole new level of understanding when I know the nature and character of God is “now.”  Regardless of what comes my way in the next ten minutes, when I arrive there, God is now.  When Jesus says, “I am coming quickly,” and I haven’t arrived at the place where I see Him yet, His perspective is as though He is already here.  Because His perspective is now.

Regardless of how many earth years, months, days, hours, minutes or seconds, it won’t be long.  It won’t be long.  God is now.  Jesus is now.  The Holy Spirit is now.  Live now, one day at a time.