FAITH VERSUS THE WORLD AROUND YOU

 I posted something on Facebook a couple of days ago, standard Johnny Knuckles stuff, drawing lines in the sand, being angry, etc.  And three of my friends from my extended church family basically, in a very loving, Christian manner, called me out on it.  These times that we are living in, an era of national turmoil, they engender an enormous amount of emotional weight in anybody who is paying attention.  No matter what side you choose, no matter what you think about it all, the weight remains, and can significantly impact your ability to manage the way you interact with friends, family, strangers, etc.

There is a solution to this emotional turmoil, though.  In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus tells us, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  When we choose to seek solace and pursue the Holy Kingdom, we throw off the weight of the worldly chaos and sinful nature of this life, leaving only the Grace of our Father to carry.

So I decided to give Facebook a not-so-fond farewell.  I find that I am easily sucked into the divisiveness, the anger, and all of the other completely negative garbage that I find there.  I have friends who mean the absolute world to me, brothers and sisters in Christ, that were quite obviously hurt or disappointed by my drawing lines in the sand and demanding that people choose a side.  I need to remember that I am expected to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and that means that even those who choose to call me their enemy are still God's children.

Now, all of that said, I still hold strong beliefs about right and wrong, and about what is going on in this country.  No matter how my Faith guides me or colors my view of the world, the fact remains that the same people who are cheering the rioters, looters and cop-killers on as they attempt to bring about the destruction of the American Way, are the same people who have hate in their hearts for those who follow Christ.  It is my responsibility, as a Christian, to love and pray for my enemies.  But let us not forget that there was a time when God instructed His People to fight those who wished for their destruction.  In fact, God sent us King David, the warrior king, and other warrior leaders throughout the Old Testament, who met our enemies on the battlefield with the power and might of God on their side...

Today, we are surrounded by modern day Phillistines, an army of zealots focused on erasing Christianity and replacing it with a morality system more like Sodom and Gomorrah.  The only question is do we fight?  How hard do we fight?  Who will lead us in that fight?  So all we can do is prepare, and pray.  "Therefore, let him who desires peace make ready for war"...

I will pray for our enemies, pray for our country, and pray that God provides us with the wisdom and courage to navigate the dark days ahead.  In the meantime, I will continue to use this blog as a platform to both spread the Word of God, and to provide fact-based, historically supported, Johnny Knuckles observations and suggestions on how to see clearly, make ready, and be at peace with all of it.

My God bless us all, and protect those who call him Father, and may he provide the Grace for us to love our enemies in the face of evil...