Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory....

It is well-known in my circle that I love a good conspiracy theory.  The theories I've learned about range from life on Mars, Nostradamus, Bigfoot, bitcoin, UFOs, the Denver airport, the Bermuda triangle, chemtrails, the Mandela effect, and the Bible code.  My mind is blown by all the details, although some of them are pretty far-fetched.  The tagline from one of my favorite conspiracy theories podcasts (brilliantly titled--“Conspiracy Theories"😁)  is "We aren't conspiracy theorists, but we are open-minded, skeptical, and curious.  Sometimes the official version is the truth, but sometimes it's not."  

Anytime I see an airplane fly over, I'm known to warn people about the chemtrails.  My niece, Sophia,  told me  that she flew into Denver airport recently and I said "WHAT??? Do you know about Denver Airport?!?!" (She did.  She's super-smart.)  And we had a  discussion about all the conspiracy theories surrounding it.  (Look it up--it's fascinating.)  The down-side of being intrigued by conspiracy theories is it makes one more cynical and suspicious.   It's hard to take anything at face value because there are surely sinister details lurking around every corner.

We are surrounded by conspiracy theories every day.  Covid, the vaccine, the election, the riots, January 6th.  Sometimes the official version is the truth, but sometimes it's not.  Oooohh, I do love to discuss it all.  And then I read Isaiah 8 this weekend. 

God is speaking through His prophet, Isaiah, to warn Israel about the coming Assyrian invasion. The invasion is a disciplinary action from the hand of God to draw His wandering people back to Him.  The enemy wave is coming and there's nothing Israel can do but ride it.  Once they hear the battle plans from Isaiah, can you imagine their reaction?  Although they lived thousands of years ago, they still have the same human nature we do.  They started talking through the truth and stretching it.  They added their own spin and embraced the "truth" as they saw it.  God warned Isaiah not to get wrapped up in the conspiracy theories being spread.  What was going to happen was scary, no doubt; but the half-truths and stretched truths were adding unnecessary fear and dread.  The people are choosing to go to spiritists and necromancers, who "chirp and mutter" (Bible-time Twitter experts, perhaps?) instead of to the God who has promised them victory in His presence.  

I still enjoy thinking through a good conspiracy theory, but this chapter changes me.    I don't want to make scripture say something it doesn't want to say, and we can't take promises and warnings made specifically to Israel and apply them across the board.  But the same God who warned Isaiah to be wary of conspiracy theories warns us.  We (I'm speaking to myself as much as anyone) spend way too much time considering the threatening forces at work in our world and way too little time considering the stubborn, unwavering love and commitment of God to see us through. I look with fear and dread at every story on the news.  I see waves of uncertainty coming for us and for our children and (God forbid) for our grandchildren.  There ARE threatening forces at work, and we should call them out.  But not louder than we call out the goodness of God.  Conspiracy theories do nothing but distract us from the truth that God Himself is fighting for us.  God tells us not to fear what they fear, nor to dread what they dread.  If we are going to fear, let it be respectful fear of the holiness of God.  Let our dread look less like cowering and quarreling at the news of the day, and more like trembling in awe at the power of God.  He is our hiding place, our shelter; He provides the offense against which there is no defense.  He provides the win by being the win.  We fight the conspiracy theories by applying the teaching and the testimony of the Word of God.  And if we will not speak His Word over our own opinions and theories, it is because we have no dawn. (Isaiah 8:20)  It gives the impression that we only see darkness, with no hope that the sun can ever rise again. 

The Word of God is the official version;  there is no spin, no alternate endings, no sinister motives.  I hope we can avoid being cynical and suspicious and just share it, knowing that nothing the enemy can plan or do will stand, because God is with us.