Life Matters - August 3, 2022
Once upon a time, in the 1960s, there was a little boy who learned how to read, and reading opened up worlds of never-before-seen, fascinating vistas to the youngster, a boy with his nose in a book whenever farm work or play allowed. Or, when nobody was looking! And yes, I was that little farm boy.
I’m sure I had sat in church many a time under the sound of German preaching expounding on the sufferings of Christ, the disciples, the apostles, and the Christian martyrs after them. Never before, however, had I followed the verbal mistreatment Jesus endured from those who should have known better. And then crucified Him! Never before had I read about it. In plain English. In all four Gospels. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It took me awhile to understand that the Gospels were four perspectives of the same span of time, but what I did understand is the horrid way in which Jesus was spoken to. When all He had done was good. I squirmed, I subconsciously held my breath and suspect, at times, nearly hyper-ventilated. This new vista was captivating, not because of its beauty but because of its horror. I was horrified, and maybe even more so, when as an adolescent, I perused and mused over Dad’s thick volume of the Martyr’s Mirror, a book with records of Christian martyrdom from apostolic times when Christians were persecuted by heathens to the 16th century, by which time Christians were being persecuted by other “Christians.” Still later, I learned to follow the persecution of Christians by 20th century Communists. I, with many others, rejoiced when Communism of Russia “collapsed under the weight of its own brutality,” as Chick Colson put it, in 1995.
As I said, by this time I had learned that not all vistas opening up by learning to read were pleasant; many in fact, were NOT. Yes, Communism collapsed in Russia, but as we observe the “unprovoked” attack against Ukraine we are again horrified by the suffering that Godlessness forces upon a travailing world. While we don’t know about the “persecution” part this time, it is a reminder of the horror, the pain and the wreckage that Godlessness is capable of.
Until Jesus comes. When He will set all things straight. Persecution is only with us until the “crooked is made straight” (Isa. 40:4) person by person and then culminated by the appearance of Truth. An appearance where the lovers of Truth will rejoice, and the despisers of Truth be condemned.
Persecution is always preceded by a hatred for Truth. And as we observe that hatred for Truth ooze its sneaky tendrils from heads of government and Truth-hating organizations into out-lying regions, we can also see the encroaching beginnings of persecution. It seems Donald J. Trump had it right when he said, “They are not after me, they are after you, I’m just in their way,” in response to the vicious calumniations from liberal left media and politicians. Before persecution of citizens can be perpetrated there must needs be a political front united around a cause against freedom and for suppression. At least to have anyone not united afraid to speak up. President Trump was, and is still, a champion for freedom and against suppression of We the People’s voices. And “they” hate him with a passion.
History is redundant with examples of tyrants gaining control of governments, suppressing, even annihilating, dissenters, first in government and then in the general populace. Think it can’t happen here? So did I when I was a boy. But then, when I was a boy the moral degradations of fentanyl coming across our insecure southern border, enriching cartels and killing American youth was unthinkable. The human trafficking at our southern border was unthinkable. American Marxism was unthinkable. Drag “queens,” school-age “queers,” transgendering, with its puberty blockers, hormone injections and physical mutilations were all unthinkable. And so on…
It is always comforting to know God. Righteous God. God, who is Truth itself. God, who tells us how to think… “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Ph. 4:8) Not all things true are pleasant, some are downright cruel. So let us not get hung up on the negative. Let us ultimately focus on Jesus Christ, become more like Him, and do good where we can.
Life Matters!