Filters

Sixth Sunday of Easter; Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

…it is the decision of the Holy Spirit, and ours as well, not to lay on you any burden beyond that which is strictly necessary,…

I had an Aunt, who really wasn’t my Aunt. Oh, we were related, but by marriage, not by blood. And this aunt never had a family of her own, so we became her ‘adopted’ family. She would have our tribe over for dinner, she taught us all how to play dominos and Spite & Malice, and took us to the Art Institute for special tours. In her final days, we helped move into an assisted living location, helped arrange hospice, and sat with her as she declined, until she crossed over into everlasting life.

As lovely as my Aunt was, her biggest challenge was her hearing. Even with hearing aids, she could not hear very well at all, which, of course, meant she talked good and loud so she could hear herself. Which was fine inside her home, but not so fine in public. We could regale you with story after story about how she embarrassed us using her “stage whisper” to critique another person who happened to be a mere 10 feet away from us. Yeesh.

We all need filters to maintain social graces. And, often times, we need to be reminded to use those filters. More than once, I have panicked, wondering, “Did I say that out loud, or just in my head?” I have learned that it is important to maintain filters of both what comes out of my mouth, but also what goes into my eyes and ears.

In today’s hyper-aware world, trying to keep up with the news is like drinking from a firehose. A recent survey found that there are over 3,000 outlets that call themselves newsrooms in America. That’s before we add bloggers, podcasts, talk radio and the deluge of social media content. And each one has their own point of view with which they present the news, which may, or may not, align with my own point of view.

Imagine if Jesus were to try and insert himself into our world today. He would be faced with an overwhelming task of trying to decide which media to use to spread his message. If he tried to just walk around with a couple dozen followers like he did 2,000 years ago, his message wouldn’t get very far. In many ways, he was very fortunate. The disciples who chose to follow Jesus allowed him to have a very specific message that was taught in a very specific manner. 21st Century technology has made spreading a message very complicated, and very expensive.

I enjoy following the news, but I have selected just a few sources to get my news from. And in the same way, I filter how I learn more about my faith. The primary source is, of course, Scripture. Even there, though, one has to learn how to read scripture. As we know, it is not meant to be read literally. More on that another time. I also learn more about my faith from the traditions of my faith. While I may have issues with some (a lot?) of things my religions teaches, 2,000 years of history has a lot to offer. And finally, I have my own life experience, which is the ultimate lens through which I look at life. Richard Rohr calls this “the learning ‘tricycle’ of spiritual growth.”

Learning what to allow through my filter to enter into my consciousness, is a lifelong process, that I feel I am just now starting to perfect. I try to keep that in mind when I am speaking to someone who may be younger than me or is not yet a part of a faith community. They are ‘drinking from the fire hose’ and are overwhelmed with either bad information or misinformation. It is important for all of us to have a safe place to go to get honest information about the world, as well as our faith. I am fortunate to have a spouse who will be brutally honest with me. I have good friends and family who are transparent and open about their stance on issues and are open to learning more about mine. And, I am blessed to have the support of a faith community of forward-thinking folks who love God.

Whether it’s friends, family, or other sources of information, we all need ways to filter out the noise and discern what is true.

Every Day.

© 2025 by Timothy J. Doppel

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