Sometimes I see things and they touch a deep space in my soul. Today I watched a video of protesters. One side of the street was one viewpoint, and on the other, the opposing viewpoint. And it was ugly. Not completely – because some people became so nasty and ugly, they were arrested, and the majority did maintain their decorum. The loud and nasty ones actually got sticks and were using a megaphone to shout insults, and they used those sticks to beat people who would not back down, and stood their ground. The police arrested the ones holding the sticks.
One of the things I have noticed recently is that anger is just underneath the thinnest of surfaces, of most people. I mean, they go along all smiles and unicorns, but when the tiniest thing happens, they explode – they have the meltdowns of three-year-olds. It amazes me. How we handle upsets says a lot about us. We often project things out into the world that are not true – they are not truly what we believe or feel, but we “go along to get along.” And trust me, with my childhood, I totally understand that. But sometime in our lives, it is important to decide that enough is enough. And protest about it. It can be interesting to think of our lives as the video I mentioned above – people lining the streets, opposing views on opposite side of the road. Some people carry sticks and try to beat their opinions into you. Others just stand on the street, carrying signs, saying little. Our souls and our minds struggle just like that, with good versus evil, and right versus wrong.
“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12: 51-53
And I think that much of what is happening in our world today is centered upon what our deeply held beliefs really are. I watched a 4-year-old video on Belgium and the influx of Muslims, and the affect it was having on the culture there. The consensus is that by 2030 there will be a majority of Muslims. Sadly, most of the culture of Belgium, and its rich history and architecture, and its people, will be gone. One of the commentators spoke to the fact that being Muslim is both an ideology and a religion, whereas communism and socialism are ideologies apart from religion. So when you usher in Muslims, you also get Sharia law. They interviewed one of the Muslim leaders and he plainly said that democracy has no place in Sharia law, and Christianity cannot exist alongside the Muslim faith. There is no such thing as a “democratic Muslim,” because Muslims must accept Sharia law or they are not a Muslim. Think about that. Think about the cities in the world that are becoming Muslim. Here in the USA it is becoming a huge issue. That and illegal immigration. And in comes the anger. The vitriol. The un-acceptance of an opposing viewpoint. Political correctness. Christian persecution. And trust me, the persecution of Christians is happening all over the world, even in the USA.
And my heart is sick. It really is. I recently chose to leave my political life. I was active locally, and on our state level. And what I saw as to the character of people, dismayed me greatly. People espouse all sorts of promises, but when the rubber hits the road, they capitulate to the powers that be – and those powers continue to hold sway over elected officials because no one does anything about it. The other thing is that politicians showed me what users they are. People get strung up on power trips and take what you offer, to further their agenda. But even after working with them, sitting down to coffee with them, promoting them in the public arena, they abandon you once you cannot do anything for them. Running into people at events and being completely ignored is something I was not prepared for. I honestly believed their hype. It stung – not gonna lie. And what is interesting is I discovered I am not missed! Only 1 person has reached out to me. I foolishly thought I was making friends. I was not. I was just volunteering at something. So it is no wonder we have voter apathy. It is no wonder we ignore politics in favor of a new recipe or play date with our grandchildren. Those provide far more joy and far more feedback that is evertlasting.
The Lord did not promise us peace. Just the opposite. As I quoted from Luke above, Jesus said he was bringing division. And it is here. Division is the common thread through everything. We truly do not get along. We go along, but we don’t honestly get along. And so my thoughts on all of this is, “where do I stand?” and “where do I go from here?” and it troubles me, because I realize that I just want to be at home. I want peace. I want harmony. I want love. I don’t want to carry a stick, nor do I want to be struck by one. As a Christian, I do not hate people. I may dislike what they stand for, but I will pray for their enlightenment; their “come to Jesus” moment. I do believe we are going to see a different world in the next decade. I do not believe what we have now, or what we have had for centuries, will look the same. I believe we will be divided as a country, and as a world. There will be enclaves of Christianity; enclaves of freedom. But I do not think we can sustain what we have if we accept and allow some of the things taking shape to continue.
“In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops. I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12: 1-6
I believe a time is coming when even the hairs on our heads, counted by God Himself, will be in danger. If we continue to sit idly by and allow what is happening to continue. I am meeting with the one person who reached out to me, and I will listen to what she has to say. I do know that we are not to hide our light under a bushel basket. The Lord made that plain. (Matthew 5:15). And I do know that we are to be the leaven in the bread of society. (Matthew 13:33). We need to permeate all of society. It is the calling for Christians worldwide. When under attack, we double down and pray. And I have been brought to my knees with what I have seen and heard in recent months. If you have not, you need to review from what source, and from whom, you are getting your information! The world is at war. It is becoming more and more obvious. Today is the day we stand, or kneel. Today is the day. It must be a day you reckon – a day you choose to say, “Enough is enough, and we will not take it anymore.” It is the only way we will survive as free Christians in this ever-changing world.
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” as it says in Joshua 24:15. And we see things like this posted in people’s homes, and on bumper stickers on their cars.
“As of 2010, Christianity was by far the world’s largest religion, with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, nearly a third (31 percent) of all 6.9 billion people on Earth,” the Pew report says. “Islam was second, with 1.6 billion adherents, or 23 percent of the global population.”
There are 2.2 billion of us who profess to follow Christ. That’s 31% of the world! But we allow the other religions to persecute us, worldwide. Why is that?? According to a Washington Post survey, “Christianity is by far the largest religion in the United States; more than three-quarters of Americans identify as Christians.” That is 75% of the population in America who identify as Christian. But the 25% who do not, are riding roughshod over us. Why is that???
We Christians have become the armchair quarterbacks of our country and our world. We are headed down a dark path if the 75% Christian population, or the 2.2 billion worldwide, continue to do nothing but complain. I am not in the armchair, I am at the game. How? With prayer, with calm discussion, with commentary when I am able. Each person I come into contact with is my mission field. I may be the only Jesus they ever know. And I endeavor to be heard in the game of life that the Lord calls us all to participate in. And it is an outrage to have to listen to my country and my world being torn apart from apathy. Where are you in this game of life??
For many of us, we feel so pathetically unable to make a difference. But each person can be heard. Each person, with the faith of a mustard seed, can move a mountain. In Matthew 17:20, the Lord tells us: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” And I am seeing astonishing things happening because just one person is motivated, and completely believes, in what they are doing. One person can make this entire movement to darkness and chaos stop, with the faith of a mustard seed. We need to each throw a pebble into this world and watch the ripples fan out into every corner of the world, announcing the Good News, and saving us all.
“Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember the Good News I told you. You received that Good News message, and you continue to base your life on it. That Good News, the message you heard from me, is God’s way to save you. But you must continue believing it. If you don’t, you believed for nothing. I gave you the message that I received.” 1 Corinthians 16: 1-3
Blessed Pascha to those on the Old Calendar. Blessed Easter Week, my friends. We need to acknowledge our faith before others, if we are going to prevent this encroaching darkness. Be strong, be steadfast, and….