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Here in Marrakech, Morocco, the television in our apartment has one English-speaking channel – a CNN news channel.

I have no idea what time it is in the US when we have the tv on here at odd times of the day and night, but what I am not seeing is “news” on this “news channel”.  What I do see is a (news) channel defending its (self-created and constantly preened) “global integrity and credibility” (as a “news organisation”) against the (self-selected) accusations from a (largely un-named) US President – and employing a self-selected panel of “objective” news industry supporters in endless debate all staged to (professionally and objectively) show the (largely unnamed US President) as a complete (and dangerous) jackass.  And around these hours of news-empty propaganda are the interminable trailers for CNN’s globe-trotting news reporters – all of whom are young and female with a stereotypical body-image and perfectly groomed hair and styling.

We stopped turning the tv on after two days.

Our own BBC news website this morning had another piece about President Trump and his own (interminable news-empty) propaganda: “Trump: Third of Americans see media as ‘enemy of the people’ “  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46053036

A President whose utterances remind me more and more of the young adults we see dining with their parents here – what’s on their smartphone takes precedence always above the people they are sitting with.  The immediacy of tittle-tattle and “likes” and “views” way more important than real relationship with those who love you.

The sadness for me is the universal appeal of this immediacy, that being in the loop of global tittle-tattle is so much more valuable than ordinary “relationship” with “ordinary people”.

I remember when CNN really was a global news organisation with people in places no other news organisations were able to be as quickly.  I remember the utterances of previous US Presidents both of gravitas and idiocy.  And I remember gossip.  The age-old titillation of rumour and invention in which fact and truth were an obstacle to really juicy salacious tittle-tattle.  Now we seem to prefer that to anything else.

The Be Attitudes.

Why is it that these verses still “preach” a message we prefer to reject.  A message pored over for it’s real meaning.  A debate that concludes us mere “sinners” are incapable of such altruism.  That we are mere mortals carrying the burden of the Garden.  That God is good but we are not.  Verses that say we suffer now for our reward later.  A reward of eternal life and (finally) proper unconditional love.

I remember coming to The Lord.  Being indwelt.  Outflowing of love.  Filled with The Holy Spirit.  I had integrity.  I had credibility.  There was no debate.  No confusion.  No tittle-tattle.

I remember I was the same then as I am now.

I refuse to become a “mature Christian”.  I refuse to defend the bible because “the bible says so”.  I challenge the “tittle-tattle and networking” of the Body of Christ.  I refuse to downsize a God of unconditional love to one who is petty and small-minded.  A God who will not (by choice) love me unless I tick all the boxes.  A God who expects me to suffer now for my (not his) VIP box later.  A God owned by many who proclaim division and political power as what (their) God wants.

And I care less for being right than for being me always.  One for whom the Be Attitudes are still simple.  Are not complicated.  Are who I am if I allow.

I see Christians carrying a carefully constructed cross of excuses.  Of I can not.  Of I am unable.  Of it is hard.  Of I don’t understand.  Of but the bible says.  Of anything and everything other than the simplicity of unconditional love.

Love does not care for being right.  Love simply cares.

Why create a cross that gets in the way?

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