September 11, 2001 changed the world. On one single solitary day the course of history was altered forever. Truly, something to fear. But do you remember the terrifying images that filled the front pages of newspapers, covered the magazine racks and were emblazoned into our minds during the weeks prior to 9/11? Think… real hard.. It was horrific, and it was everywhere. Give up? SHARKS!!!

Every magazine seemed to have a shark story, or a reference to a shark story. It seemed no one was safe. Funny, though, how all of the sharks decided to stop eating people around, oh, say, September 12, 2001. After 9/11, no more shark stories. And so it goes…

Remember the swine flu? How about SARS? Oh, here’s another one…. The BIRD Flu… and lest we forget, Y2K… Starting to see a pattern here? I am no conspiracy theorist, but if I was, I would see one in all of the fear-mongering that our print, video and internet media pedal relentlessly. Quick show of hands… Who’s still working off those old cans of Tuna from the Y2K scare? How about that Generator? That thing come in handy much?...

I am certainly not here to bash prudent preparation for realistic catastrophic events. In fact, there are some who would applaud those who over-prepare for disaster. I am not one of those, but I do understand that level of preparation. We need those kinds of people.

The problem I have lies in what to believe. Pre-911, Americans were scared to hop in the ocean. Millions held their breath on December 31, 1999, awaiting impending disaster. Countless Americans prepared 2 summers ago for the Bird Flu that never manifested in the US. Do I believe it when I am warned, ad nauseaum, about the latest potential world ending disaster? The answer is, that I have to be very cautious when deciding who, or what, to believe when it comes to gloom and doom. However, there is a bit of old news that, ironically, is commonly called the “good news”… maybe that’s what we choose to believe. Then, be cautious about the naysayers, the gloom peddlars.

In actuality, all of us are either preparing for the single greatest party ever thrown, or we are preparing for a future of nothingness. If you know you are going to that forever bash, then live today like it is already happening, for, in reality… it has already started. So, embrace the fullness, the love, the joy of a future filled with nothing we fear today and everything we need, forever.

And I remember another single, solitary day that changed the course of history.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”. Luke 2