January 8 -- Pink Eye

January 8
Pink Eye
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." Proverbs 13:20


The Sochi Olympics of 2014 provided Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with a wide array of jokes and sneering comments.  Athletes poked fun at their hotel accommodations, criticizing their half-built rooms and non-potable water.  Photographs flooded the internet with images of dangling internet wires, side-by-side toilets, and other situations deemed inconvenient to the many athletes, reporters, and guests who bombarded the city for the Olympic games.  One of the most popularly mocked #sochifails, however, revolved around Bob Costas, an NBC reporter who contracted pink eye while covering the Olympic events.  By the time his infamous left eye healed, it had its own Twitter account, was a trending topic, and starred in countless memes that still circulate the internet today.  


Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, may have received gloriously catastrophic attention in the media last year, but in reality this malady is blandly common.  The infection often stems from the same bacteria that cause the common cold, and redness and itchiness easily rank as its worst side effects.  Pink eye has no lasting effects on one's vision, but because of its annoyances, discomfort, and occasional pain, most people wish to avoid it at all costs.  This proves difficult, however, as pink eye is ravenously contagious.  Those with pink eye often rub their itching eyes, spreading the bacteria to their hands and everything they touch.  If someone nearby comes in contact with the germs, the epidemic can quickly spread.


Pink eye and character share this quality.  Both are contagious and can spread unintentionally.  Solomon said in Proverbs that "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm," and Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “Bad company ruins good morals.” Pink-eye victims, out of courtesy, usually stay home while afflicted, but bitter people with negative influences always show up.  We must somehow determine which attitudes we will allow close to our hearts.  Most of us can't avoid hostile people altogether, but we can choose to have close friends with positive spirits and uplifting attitudes.  Criticizing, gossiping friends may encourage bad behavior, but companions who continually look to God for peace and joy will often lead us to do the same.  If we find friends who will spread the right kind of influence, we can have an attitude we will be proud to call contagious.