What if we went back to not discussing politics, money, or religion in casual conversations, given that history has shown us that these discussions nudge us more toward estrangement rather than engagement? And what if no one ever knew who we voted for, because what we do with that soul-searchingly private and highly sought-after and protected right may need to remain our business rather than that of every person and algorithm on Planet Earth? Since 1776, we have only amended our United States Constitution 26 (twenty-six) times. And we have demonstrated our reverence for the right to vote by spending four of those twenty-six amendments on expanding the American citizen’s right to vote? (BT dubs, I’m pretty proud of my post-menopausal brain for remembering those facts correctly!). What is our constitution as a country? What is my constitution? Why do I feel so hesitant to share my thoughts on this topic in a public forum — people who have known me for a long time ask me often why I don’t write as much as I used to. I certainly am not writing/journaling at the level I was 15-20 years ago, but I will say that I am much less likely to make my writing available online as freely and confidently as I did back then. So, what’s my hesitation? Is it because I’m a highly sensitive person? Not really. It’s because I’m not sure I want to invite comments from people I know and love that reveal something about themselves that appears to be in stark contrast to what they have demonstrated to me in real life: that they genuinely care for me and others, that they respect life and those who live it . . .

Algorithms may be the embodiment of the spirit of the Antichrist. I’m pretty sure that’s not Biblical — I just could not come up with a word to describe them that seemed any more sinister or malignant. I guess I could have used “sinister” or “malignant”. I’m even nervous right now that using that word to metaphorically represent the algorithms that do not summon the better angels of our nature will spark the very vitriol that I wish did not exist. Remember when, if we wanted to genuinely engage with other humans, we would simply host a dinner party or a cocktail party? Or a good-old-fashioned barbecue? When we did that, we were in charge of our own algorithm. We may have carefully selected from a group of like-minded friends or acquaintances, fairly certain of how the conversation would go. Or we may have stepped ever-so-slightly outside our comfort zone and chosen to give mixing friends — and their opinions — a go. The latter has always made me nervous — mixing friend groups — you know, the work friends with the high school friends, along with some of the volunteer group friends. Some of my most favorite times and liveliest discussions have emerged from what began as a gathering of people who spent the evening intriguing each other. We did not have to agree. But we generally opted not to shame or belittle one another when we did not.

I wonder what it would be like if we could suspend time and technology for just a few days, and we were all left to marinate in our own thoughts — just our own, not those that the algorithms are constantly marinating us in — and we took a moment to clarify our innermost individual values, reminded ourselves of what or who instilled those in us, meditated on those values, researched the primary source (not another human’s take on that primary, or even secondary, source . . . I wish we would all commit to doing that.

If you are a believer in Jesus for eternal life, your primary source is the Bible, not real or fake news, an editorial or a social media platform that thrives on fostering common-enemy-intimacy.