a fever or smokescreen

We've been in the grip of Olympic fever and medal totals and obsession with speed has been a primary focus. Yet promises of freedom of access and change disappeared under a spectacle worthy of the early days of Hollywood. It has been a epic of distraction. Not owning a tv I've ended up isolated from the hype. Instead I've come across small little articles which have have kicked up a little dust. Have you heard about Wu Dianyuan and Wang Xiuying, two little old ladies in their 70s threatened because they applied for permission to protest. You can find their story blossoming into a little dust storm. They weren't really being political they weren't protesting about human rights per se but their grievance was about receiving insufficient compensation when their homes were seized for redevelopment. The Olympics has been responsible for massed forced relocation of people. If that were to happen for London in 2012 the resulting fallout wouldn't just be a government, it would probably bring down the economy as well.

Smokecreens are a real problem in all aspects of life. Sometimes we know it's one but other times it is such a great illusion we believe it is reality. Other times it is a distraction to draw our attention away from the real issues. The trouble is do we really want to see things as they are or are we happy with what is called reality. (reality tv being a great example?) I suspect there's a lot of that in our lives and our faith journeys.