There hasn’t been a lot of positive news to report on as of late. On radio this morning, Glenn tried to focus on some real world solutions to the problems that are afflicting each and every one us. Over the weekend, Glenn received some frank advice from a friend who recognized that Glenn is “out of gas” these days. What can we do refuel? The answer stems from spending more time with scripture.
Below is an edited transcript of the monologue:
Now let me give you the piece of advice you are probably not going to like that somebody gave me just this last weekend that is absolutely correct. And reason why he gave me this advice is because he knew I would know it's right. The question is whether I do it or not.
He said ‘Glenn, you are running on fumes, brother.’
And I said, ‘I know I am. I'm trying to change my life a bit.’
He says no, ‘I'm talking about spiritual fumes. You have put poison into your body for so long. Into your mind, you have put this hate. You have put all of the news stories, all this anger…’
I said, ‘I'm not reading hate. I'm reading things about hate. I am reading things to try to understand it. I'm reading the news.’
We've talked about it before. I feel, and I know you do too, you feel like you are watching your kid being slowly strangled. Our country is being strangled to death. Our way of life is being strangled to death. Our faith is being strangled to death. And we're watching it – a violent scene every day, and we talk about those things every single day.
He said, ‘How many hours a day are you focused on the things that are wrong in the world?’
I said, ‘My whole day.’
He said, ‘How many hours are you reading your scriptures?’
I said, ‘I don't know. I try to do half an hour, maybe an hour.’
He said, ‘You've got to drop everything else. You are out of gas. There's no way anyone can talk about love. There's no way that anyone can focus on doing the right thing, if you're not putting more in of that than the other – especially since you have depleted everything.’
Basically, you are what you eat. What are you eating every day? What is it we are eating every day? We are eating garbage. We are eating fast food, fast news. We're watching the Kardashians or whatever your release is because you want that release. I don't want to think anymore. Why are we addicted to everything? Why are we addicted either to drugs, to the Internet, to our cell phone, to Facebook, to virtual reality, games, whatever it is we are doing – why is it we are addicted to it? Because we just want to go numb for a while.
It's too hard. I'm tired. It's too hard. I don't know how to do it. That's my biggest frustration. I don't know how to do it. I don't know how to make it make sense. I don't know how to raise my children in this. I don't know how to make anything make sense. That's my biggest frustration, and that's the way I feel inside. Can you throw me a bone, please? I don't know how to do it.
My positivity has come from spending an hour a day with one book, and I know nobody wants to hear it because our churches have failed us. The people get up and preach to us – nobody wants to hear a preacher. Nobody wants to hear that crap because we don't think they actually mean it. We think that it's about money. It's about power. It's about control. It's about fame. It's about somebody selling another book. I know. I'm the guy who writes books and sells them like they are going out of style.
I get it. Quite honestly, I mean this sincerely, if I could – and I can, I just don't – I do things that I feel I am told to do. And I am told to stand, but everything in me says unplug it all. Unplug it all. Start over. Unplug it all. That's insane. That's insane. And I know the difference between me and Him. And that's me. That's me saying, ‘Unplug it all’ because I'm also at the same time saying ‘I don't know how to do what you want me to do.’
Here's what we have to do. We have to re-prioritize our lives. We have to start feeding ourselves good. We have to start feeding ourselves not junk food good… You are starving for anything that shows that we have a connection to each other, that there's decency and honor and love in the world, when nothing else matters. We get it from animals because we know animals aren't trying to sell us anything, so we accept it. And we are starving for it.
Come on, man, we all know eating McDonald's isn't good. You eat it when you're in a hurry and there's no other choice. No one says, ‘Where do you want to go tonight?’ ‘I don't know. We've been saving up. Let's go to McDonald's.’ You are doing through the drive-through because it is convenient and because it's fast. You are not going there because you need nutrition. You are going there because you need the basic sustenance. That's why you are going there. That's what that story is – the basic bottom line because none of us have time to get something good. We just have to have a little bit of it.
We have to find ways to go a little deeper than the sea lion story, but nobody wants to hear it from a preacher. You know how long I pray? I have prayed for the last three years, ‘Will you please help me like your book because I don't like your book. It's boring. I know you are the author, and I know it's really not the thing to say. It is the best-selling book of all time, but it's boring as snot and I don't understand it. Could you please help me like it?’
Three years I prayed. I finally like it. I love it. I love it. Now the question is: Will I make the time to spend two hours every day in that book. Think about how much time you spend on whatever it is. I'm telling you where the vitamins and minerals can be found. You will not be able to withstand the storm. Mark my words. My gosh, I know this is true. You will not be able to stand the coming storm without this. You will not be able to stand with love and honor and decency. You will not stand, unless you do this. Let's try to help each other do this.
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