Are you certain that someone named *Bob Sitze actually sent this message to you? If this seems like an odd question, read on….
My digital identity has been compromised several times. Phony phone calls, probings of this blog site; a bogus claim—in my name—for unemployment insurance; an e-mail yesterday informing me that this device has been compromised and that I can keep embarrassing information private by sending cash to a Bitcoin wallet. Perhaps most vexing are the communications I get, purportedly from friends and relatives, that are actually portals into the clutches of hackers and other criminals.
I find myself yielding to the general feeling that there’s not much I can trust anymore. That I am constantly bombarded by invisible dangers on every side. That it’s better to be suspicious.
Time to remind myself about trusting….
I trust God completely. That belief colors most other situations and relationships in which trust is essential. I have confidence in those around me, near and far, because we know each other. I prefer first to trust people I don’t know, too. Where possible, I try to verify—even at a micro level—what passes for truth, starting with what may be the motivations of supposed truth-tellers. When others fail those small tests, I stop believing them and stop paying attention to them.
This coin’s other side: Being trustworthy. Even in small details, I try to be true to my word and to be transparent about my actions and the motives behind them. Every day I pray that honesty and openness will remain my first choice for interactions with others. I gratefully reciprocate when someone trusts me.
Most importantly, it’s good to remember that there are still people and truths that I can remain certain about!
* For your verification purposes: This blog was written by a smiling older gentleman who is post-hirsute, a gardener and former professional church worker.
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