Mr. Leeds is watching: Upside down and hell all around

What is up is down and what is down is up. Nothing makes sense now.. all that once did has been trampled by the fierce weight of the modern age.

That seems to be the common sentiment among many people I talk to anymore, this notion that everything that was once true has suddenly become a mystery and everything that was once mysterious has become fact.

There is this theory that exists in the paranormal realm, one that I do not necessarily subscribe to but one that has a very interesting premise when you consider it. The idea is that the earths magnetic field is what separates the here and there, that the netherworld is actually existent but because of gravity and the magnetic layer around this is there, the paranormal world does not interfere with our reality.  The theory then goes on to say that with the weakening of the magnetic field, more ghostly activity and strangeness occur. We do know too that the earths magnetic field has been weakening over the past several years, and scientists say it will continue to do so.

If you believe in the dramatic theory of how the paranormal could become normal, that we are very close to the gates of strangeness, and you concur with the magnetic field is actually weaker than before, then you may not be shocked at the stories in the news as of late: Tales of demonic possession, houses of politicians being haunted, and exorcists in demand across the world.

Over the weekend as my son–along with my wife and I– was attempting to get past strep throat and other cold like symptoms that suddenly struck, I was perusing some news articles and came across a horrific tell from the Congo. Apparently a mob mentality–literally–struck. Witnesses said that a mob of people stoned to death a man who was unable to speak the native dialect … he was on a bus and carrying a machete. They killed him, suspecting he was a member of ISIS, after terror attacks have killed 100 in the country..   But then (graphic content warning now) things got ‘real,’ with the mob burning the lifeless corpse of the suspected terrorist and then–drumroll please–eating him..

They consumed the evil they murdered and feared.. There are also photos in global media to prove the horror..

The horror that occurred in real time to the man now consumed by the angry group of people is no match to the terror that has been unleashed in the nation of Iraq.. This weekend, again, was no different.  More brutal executions.. Women and children, as usual, were not dismissed of their unearned early murders. They were found in a well, we are told by media reports.. Dead and tossed like garbage.. Entire families were marched to their deaths.

This is really real. This is happening. It is not murder and genocide confined to the safe pages of history books. It is now.

While speaking to a family member today who recently lost a loving husband and good man–a very big loss personally for my family and this world–she told me that she is distressed more and more by reality taking place.. She said that things have even become more serious since losing someone, and that the witching hour of 3am is often in her blurry sleepy vision as she awakens in distress from sleep.

I have heard this a lot recently..

The 3am witching hour, complete with the fear of the world and the weight of the gates of hell, wide open and giving us a daily dose of demonic activity..

I have written before about that hour, a time when the thinness of the here and there seems to be the weakest and thinnest. But so many people lately have spoken of the same troubles sleeping.

While that may not be enough to develop a thesis that the world is about to dramatically change, it certainly has raised my eyebrows.. why so many now, at this time, with the same ailment: Waking constantly, especially at the time of the night we dread?

Maybe the news of the day is just too much to deal with.. perhaps headlines are dreadful, so much so that our brains have been impacted and our inner night owls are taking over?

I frankly don’t know..

I know this: Life has always been violent. People have always been crude, rude, cowardly, desolate of morals and filled with depravity. There have been handfuls of goodness and pockets of pride. So often, though, the loudest were the degenerates who mocked God and made a mockery of the creation.

Despite it being one of the lowest rated movies of M. Night Shyamalan’s career, I loved LADY IN THE WATER. There is one character in particular who reminds me of so many people in our current time.. His name was “Mr. Leeds” played by actor Bill Irwin.  He is one of the tenants in the apartment building where a magical fairy tale will soon ensue.. but until it does, he is busy daily watching his television set of the latest scenes of chaos, strife, warfare and murder across the planet. Shyamalan presents him as a stoic man, someone who seemingly watches in a silent agony as the chilling news broadcasts play out 24/7 in his living room. And really, isn’t that all of us? The silent majority, not condemning the atrocities across the earth but instead attempting to live our lives as though they aren’t happening? Traveling to work in heavy traffic, consumed by radio interfering with our souls, standing around a water cooler with mindless dribble spewing? That is us.. We are good at heart.. But scared of the consequences of speaking out.

The scary scenes of warfare.. ‘at least it’s not here’ as a general attitude is never good.. It’s akin to someone saying “if I’m not doing anything wrong I have nothing to fear” when presented with news that the government and corporations are relentless spying on us to no end. It is wrong and unhealthy to just accept all things for the sake of creating peace. No peacemaker who was successful ever said no to battle and a good fight.

As said previously, there has always been horrors on this planet. Dictators have ruled with iron fists, entire peoples were wiped out by chemical and nuclear weapons.. So what is any different about today as opposed to then?
The fact we are in the 21st century.. the fact that this should all have been settled by now.

No matter how far we progress, we use the technology of the day for the sordid affairs of murder and pillage. We are more connected than ever. We can talk to someone in real time anywhere on this planet.. and with live web cams see their every move. Then beheadings fill our newsfeeds..
And our response? Apathy..
Cautious carelessness.. instead we’ll Tweet and simmer in anger over the latest meaningless football game that quenches our simply Sunday mindsets.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In LADY IN THE WATER, Mr. Leeds’ took on a very important role.  He questions whether humanity should be saved in his dialogue in the film. He goes on to inspire the main character of the film at the most crucial time. And it leads to redemption–redemption of the entire group of apartment misfits that never realized the power of humanity to work as one.

We are all Mr. Leeds, engrossed in the mundane violence that television news has become.. But all the while, feeling powerful to face the brunt of the devastation..

This past weekend, Halloween weekend no less, the news of the world was scarier than any ghoul or monster on your door steps cutely asking for candy. Those monsters are innocent after all, dressing like the things that haunt them at night, or the heroes who save their days.. But the real monsters and demons wear suits and ties and play chess with the lives of all of us. Meanwhile terrorist splinter groups take aim at fellow man and inhumanely create a hell on earth ..

Yes indeed.. the gates of are wide open and giving us some troubling times on Earth..
As the veil things..and the field weakens.