In 1979, when we first moved to Bozeman, the police reports were comical and often ridiculous. For example, officers were summoned when a porcupine became stuck in someone’s spare tire! Even this week the report said a deputy responded to an anonymous call about a sad dog that howled a lot. “The deputy found the dog to be healthy-looking.” Seeming trifles, yet over the past few decades more serious crimes have increased in our area.

Even so, what if your town or suburb was the limit of your concern? Think of a ten-mile radius around your home or apartment. How many tragedies, crimes, and community problems would you endure over your lifetime? Maybe a few murders, a score of petty thefts, several suicides, a few businesses going bankrupt, some accidental deaths and crop failures. More than a stuck porcupine or a howling dog, but not more than you could handle.

A hundred years ago, that would’ve been normal life.

The truth is, our sphere of reality is far greater now. Advances in technology and media have brought a boatload of problems into our living rooms—every day, all day. And as Christians, it’s as though we are asked to care and give money and pray for the whole world. As someone said, it’s like trying to sip some water from a fire hydrant.

But how many problems are we really designed to handle?

Some would argue that modern people have developed an ability to cope with many things at the same time. Yet, consider the fact that 60% of Americans are sleep deprived with emotional stress as the primary cause. Also, 70-85%Continue reading