A Dream I Had...

I had a dream the other night that I found interesting and wanted to share. 

So I was with a group of people, mostly students I'm pretty sure, but I was a part of the group and not leading it. We were all going from one room to another, but all the rooms were connected almost like sets. So we went from one really dark set, to another one where the cast of Studio C (original cast, like Mallory, Matt, Stephen, etc.) and Lin Manuel-Miranda put on a show with skits and song and dance. In the dream, I thought it was conspicuous that Lin Manuel-Miranda was there because I was pretty sure he was too busy and famous to have shown up to this event or whatever it was. Then, we were told to move onto the next room, and most of them did (though not me). The next room was all lit by black lights and was full of games like ski-ball and arcade basketball and other games like that, but instead of going into the room, I turned around and watched as the cast of what we just watched all went behind the set into this large warehouse room, and they were all wearing the same clothes as they were moments before, but they'd taken off the appearance of these individuals. It was not the same people, but they'd had on these mask-like things that were black in the front, almost like a black oval, and it created a holographic image so they appeared like these other people, and it changed their voices to sounds like them. It was like the show was just trying to brainwash people into accepting that these individuals were truly there, but they weren't and the production (I think that's what it was considered) just wanted to hide the truth behind the scenes where no one would see it. The only reason I saw it was because in that moment, I could see behind the curtain (almost magically like I was seeing through it), even though no one else really could, or really paid attention to or tried.

Then two kids came out of the room with all the arcade games and were complaining, "I'm bored" and they wanted more of the show. Nothing in the room of games for them to play was good enough, but I knew they didn't even try playing any of the games. They just wanted to be entertained and not have to entertain themselves. And I tried explaining to them that this was just how it goes, which reminded me of a camp counselor telling the campers why the order of events happens and how we move on from one thing to the next because that's how it's all scheduled. There was also a kid, around 4 years old, following me around a bit and he didn't seem as enthralled by the show and games, but more intrigued by the people and what we were doing. I don't really think there was a way out of all this either, and there was no given time that it would all end. I think there were several hours devoted to time in the arcade-like room though. Then I woke up. 

I'm not usually one for dream meanings and such, but this one just got me thinking about the state of the world and I wanted to elaborate on it a bit. I'm concerned about the way that we, as a society, get so caught up in what we're shown and told, we don't always stop to think about if it's really true. We get so wrapped up in the distractions that we miss out on what's right in front of us, and too easily believe the lies that what's bad for us is actually in our best interest (whether that be with phones, care products, food, political policies, entertainment, or fill-in-the-blank). We focus more on how we can be entertained and served and given what we want, and don't focus enough on enjoying fellowship with others and serving those around us. 

That's not to say there aren't also people trying to deceive us into thinking they're someone that they're not. Plenty of people are doing that in our world too. But, we have to pay enough attention to notice, and many aren't willing to. We can't just follow the leaders of this world blindly and not pay attention to who they really are. I'm not saying they're using holographic images to hide their true selves, but when someone says they're going to act in the better interest of others, and then acts selfishly and screws over the people they're supposed to take care of and represent, then we need to acknowledge how two-faced they're being. We have to pay attention to what's going on in the world around us and the results of those who are actively claiming to be helping us while they're actually hurting us. Otherwise, we're just following along with no real concept of why we're doing so.

For example, I look at the economy (I don't really want to get political, but this is one of the best examples that came to mind). President Biden made promises about how we was going to help people and make the economy better (and VP Kamala is making similar ones now), but inflation is crazy high, America has maxed out its debt (I think repeatedly), people are struggling to feed their families and more than ever have resorted to living out of their vehicles, and I'm pretty sure the only people who are truly benefitting from this economy are those who already had more than enough to begin with. That's not an example I want to follow or encourage. Meanwhile, when President Trump was in office, inflation was down, national debt had decreased more than it had in years, and while people still struggled and unemployment increased, there were extenuating circumstances of the COVID-19 shutdown that have to be taken into account. Do I agree with everything that happened during his presidency? No, but we can't ignore the truth and reality of the situation we're in now and the one we were in a few years ago. 

My goal is not make a case for how anyone should vote, and you may disagree with the state of our economy in, say, 2019 compared to now, but I don't see how anyone could say America is in a better state now than it was pre-COVID. I think that's worth noting. I'm just saying, if we only listen to what people SAY they'll do, and don't look at what they're actually DOING, then we're blind to the truth. We have to be aware and can't get so caught up in being entertained that we miss this. Trust me, I know it's tempting to just put aside all worries about the world and hone in on something that brings temporary happiness and relief, but we can't live in the things that entertain us. We live in this world, and we ought to pay attention to that and realize what's happening around us. 

I don't know if there was actually anything to this dream or if it was just a normal dream I had, but it got me thinking (sorry, *pondering) about the way this world is going and how important it is to be aware of the changes around us. Keep your eyes open to what's happening in the world. Keep learning how best to live for God in this life. Keep pondering, just in general. I am, and I hope you will too.