Of Presidents and Priests and Kings and Many Things. . .

We are coming upon the much celebrated by the media, mini milestone of the 100th day of the Obama presidency.  As a politically conservative, fundamentalist, One God, Apostolic, Spirit filled, Jesus name Christian each day’s headlines cause me greater and greater anguish.  If I allowed myself, I could easily become distraught at the path our country, indeed more than that . . . the path that our entire world has taken. . .
 
But Mr. Obama cannot be held responsible in a mere 100 days for the position in which we find ourselves as a nation.  He is a symptom, not a cause.  In fact, even his being in office at all is not attributable to Mr. Obama’s particular talents or past accomplishments, but rather to the desperate hunger of the country for a new direction.  His mantra was ‘change’ and that alone is what people wanted. . .change is what people needed, but their eyes are blind to the change required for lasting happiness. . .
 
Being horribly dissatisfied with our present national and cultural circumstances, as a nation we have sold the old homestead farm, which with all its flaws and problems, still and all had served us well and had been in the family for generations.  We wanted change.  We bought a new place next to the landfill, across the street from a nuclear waste processing facility, thinking any location to be better than where we were.
 
How similar to the circumstance of a young person, newly graduated from high school and being so eager to escape the oppressive atmosphere of their parents home, that in a mad rush, they blindly moving in with an acquaintance whom they scarcely know . . . Only to learn a painful lesson in that the structure and stability of the parental nest were in the end shown to be greatly desired over the madness of unending parties and undisciplined hedonism. . .
 
In a few years the old family farm becomes a passionately fond memory and we must at some point, if we ever mature enough, admit with great humility that life with Mom and Dad wasn’t nearly so bad as we thought it.
 
When this country started, we had a firm moral direction, interpreted and administered by our priests, from behind the pulpit in our neighborhood churches.  Granted there was imperfection, admittedly there was at times excess and abuse, but it was a self-correcting imperfection.  As long as we had an arbitrary and unchanging standard against which to measure our direction, any misdirection would soon become apparent and could be nudged back into the proper course. 
 
Now we have lost both that local leadership, and the inviolable standard against which to measure our moral compass heading.  As a nation, as a culture, as a society, we still have our priests, but now even though they continue to wear the black cassocks of their type, the leather bound book to which they refer is no longer the inspired word of God, but rather the words and wisdom of their own fellow man.
 
This puts them in the position of taking another man’s intellectual output as their input, digesting it, and reissuing it again as output to be again used as the input of another.  This is a classic feedback loop.  The output of a speaker becomes the input of a microphone, which feeds the speaker. . . and round and round the loop goes.  Each cycle of feedback imperceptibly modifies and distorts the original input until the once beautiful tones of music and singing soon become harsh and piercing. . . pain arises where beauty once stood.
 
Barring any other moral locus, hedonism always becomes the direction of our path.  Given our own will, our flesh and its hungers greatly desire to predominate above every other more nebulous and airy, in short Spiritual goal. . . We are now in a position where the hedonism of a man and woman, their desire for unrestricted coupling with no consequences or responsibilities is now given by our judicial neo-priesthood in preference over a baby’s right to live and breathe . . .The pleasures of the parents are more important than the essential right of life of the child and on and on. . .
 
Issues of this similar nature arise again and again.  Questions we never before thought to ask, arise and are decided, taking dark and confusing directions.  The very fabric of that which holds us together as a people seems in imminent danger of giving way.  As a culture, we spiral ever more deeply into the abyss of animalistic impulse. . . if it feels good, do it!  That now seems to be replacing 'In God We Trust' as our national motto.  No longer a phrase found only on psychedelic posters in head shops.  That license that our neo-priesthood is granting our society, to act upon every whim of passion as a right of man is anything but freedom.  It is bondage of the most severe form . . . bondage to the lusts and appetites of the flesh.
 
As a Christian, am I justified in despairing?  Should I continue to become more and more overwrought and dismayed at each new immoral revelation of our godless neo-priests.  I think not.
 
First of all, I must strive continually to keep foremost in my mind, that the source of my happiness is not my job.  It is not my 401k plan.  It is not my house, my car, or my health.  It is not the latest decision of the Supreme Court, nor the latest legislative initiative signed by our President.  I will be sorely disappointed if I look for my happiness in these things.  All these things can easily be taken away from me.  I must remember and remain focused upon the true source of my happiness, which is my relationship with God. 
 
Secondly, each new manifestation of evil in this world is merely a more currant and stronger confirmation of the Bible’s prophetic writings regarding the imminent return of our King. . .If things were to remain peaceful, holy, and righteous in this world then we would know that the time of the Lord was in the long distant future.  We know, we have been given warning that the times will become very much more tumultuous before the return of the Lord.
 
And lastly, as the ambient light of our world turns to dusk, as the gloom increases, the bright twinkling of our peace and stability will more fully contrast with the world around us.  Whatever light we posses will be more visible amidst the surrounding chaos and confusion.  Do not be fooled.  The stars in the sky shine both day and night, only appearing to suddenly and magically turn on in the absence of the brilliant sun.  The day is late.  The sun is beginning to set and the hours of darkness approach. . .
 
As Christians we have an exclusive franchise on the only source of lasting and genuine happiness.  With the accelerating moral decline of this world, as the people around us become more greatly frantic and miserable, our peace and joy will stand out as a beacon in the night, this contrast will draw men to us, and through us to Jesus as moths to a flame.
 
Do not despair my beloved Brother and Sister.  Let your faith rise. . .and gladly look forward to the return of our King. . . 

Revelation 22:11-17
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  (12)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  (13)  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  (14)  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.  (16)  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.  (17)  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

I love you my God. . .
I love you all. . .

Thank you my Lord. . .
Thank you my God. . .

Dave

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

When Your Mother Dies. . .

Mother's Day 2007