Things I Think…
1. I’m weary of the pandemic, weary of masks, weary of distancing, weary of smelling of hand sanitizer…but the thing I’m most weary of is angry people…
2. I’m not angry…nobody has done anything to maliciously harm me…Covid 19 mitigations can be debated as to whether they were effective or wise, but for the most part they were the actions of people seeking to solve something much bigger than they were capable of handling…
3. Some of you are angry at me, because I’m not angry. That’s ok… if I was, you’d find someone or something else to be angry about…rage is delicious and addicting…
4. Jesus, of course, instructed us to be continually angry and rage until the sun went down…didn’t He?
5. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve said this…but it amazes me how many people who deeply believe that we are in the last days are doing all they can to stop prophecy from coming true…I say the sooner Jesus comes, the better…
6. There is an eschatological battle happening between good and evil…but it is not represented by American political parties and won’t be won at the ballot box…
7. I’ve come to the conclusion that much of the division and strife in this country is fueled by a desire to be significant and to be right….even if one has to be unrighteous to achieve such…
8. In all my training and study of pastoral ministry, I’ve yet to see where part of my job is to teach people how to vote or fight culture wars…in fact, I would say that it is deadly to the practice of the care of souls…
9. Pagans believe things good that Christians don’t and vice versa…since when is this news?
10. What if…all this anger and noise is simply a Satanic diversion to deceive the church into abandoning its mission? I think it’s working well…and I get extra points for invoking the devil…
# 10…..
Could be…. could be….. 😇
thanks for your prophetic voice–speaking truth about what is, not what is to come. Regarding #3, I find rage to be both easy to access, unfulfilling in results, and exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is a death spiral.
#5! I don’t get it…
#3
I agree. Rage and outrage are addictive. Too many are hooked…
fil,
I’m right there with you…
One of the “prophets” invoked the devil as having stolen the election/prophecies. That sovereign devil… sure gives God a bad name.
BD,
That “sovereign devil” is a busy boy…
” And hath God said? ” “You shall not surely die….”
Oh yeah?
It is appointed ONCE to die …. and after? Judgement by a loving, gracious, but uncompromising, holy Triune God.
Good ponders in the comments here on a great pist! ! ! 👍
Oh sigh… “great POST”
Thanks, Em!
#11
God is a globalist…
#11
Yes.
An easy one.
God so loved the world…
related to #6 – Chuck Colson once said: “The Kingdom of God will not arrive on Air Force One!”
bob1, Dave…amens…
Some things are understandable to get angry over. Like what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Or false prophets who spout political nonsense and clamor for money and power. Or the abuse of children and women and people of color, and the oppression of the marginalized. There are some things I should be angry over. But I certainly don’t expect anyone else to be angry nor will I condemn any brother or sister who doesn’t get angry. We are all in a different place in our journeys, and I think we often go wrong because we don’t realize that and think and expect everyone should be at the exact same place as we are. So we set off to convince someone who’s two miles ahead in the journey to come back to where we are. There’s something to be said about just letting one another be.
Good words, Mike E… (Mikie? 😉 )
Gotta pray for Tiger W today… while i was drinking morning coffee, he was crashing a car.. Healing, but more, finding his redemption/forgiveness in our Lord
#3-You could say life is terrible right now, and yet I can’t abandon the happiness I feel when I get a lesson taught “right” the first time, the moments when I have been able to make someone smile, the fact that God loves me all the time, no matter how mixed up I might be; the kind things people do for each other despite the pandemic; the extra quiet in the morning because everyone isn’t out trying to get to work…plus, I’ve never found that being angry is good for my blood pressure.If we focused on all the things we can do, I think we’d get through the pandemic better and quicker (like, we can all wear a mask….).
Just my opinion- it’s so refreshing to see the present posts from y’all!
Michael said above, “I’m …. weary of distancing…..”
Me too…i miss hugs!!!
(((((HUGS)))))) Much love to my Phoenix Preacher family!!!
Hugs Dusty! Not sure if you know, but I’m Cash. I stopped using that screen name and use my own name now. Great to see you, dear sister!
Em…I like being called Mikey. It’s what they called me as a child. We named one of my sons Michael (same as me, but not a Junior) and he is 28 y/o and still goes by Mikey. 🙂
Having known way to many who have passed from this pandemic I can tell U it’s frustrating. In the evangelical community, I am connected to the entire pandemic and Pres Trump’s loss was a Chinese conspiracy from the communists. The many preachers I follow online that there is no pandemic and no one has basically died from covid and it is all a conspiracy. Masks are part of the conspiracy to take over our nation when the Chinese attacked the east coast near Maine and Canada but Trump stopped them. They really believe this. I find it amazing that many are willing to believe the constant conspiracy theories. I mean Q was a bunch of 4challel trolls who I am sure are they are all laughing their backsides off. But people believe it. We all inhabit this small planet and we are all mortal. One would think that has more recourse given the price paid for its proclimation.
“We recognize that evangelicalism, and white evangelicalism in particular, has been susceptible to the heresy of Christian nationalism because of a long history of faith leaders accommodating white supremacy. We choose to speak out now because we do not want to be quiet accomplices in this on-going sin.”
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/24/970685909/evangelical-leaders-condemn-radicalized-christian-nationalism
A doctor in our congregation suggested that Russian disinformation is exacerbating our problems, even creating them.
I watched this:
https://youtu.be/tR_6dibpDfo
It’s a New York Times piece about how that is done. I hate conspiracy theories, which this addresses.
Fellow congregants and extended family really ratcheted up the pressure in my life with their anger and frustration re: COVID and politics.
That video actually helps give me a framework to understand where some of this is coming from. Other than directly from the pit of hell.
@ Nr. 9:
I’ve known kinder and gentler pagans than some Christians during my time under the sun.
jtk..I’ve been trying to sound that alarm re: foreign bad actors (READ Russia) for a long time. They have literally attacked us in many different ways. The disinformation is huge. They’ve mastered our social media and they are responsible for MUCH of the heartache we’ve been going through. They stoke the racial hatreds of people. They have attacked us in so many ways. Yet so many seem to not care, or not recognize where these things are coming from. You were right. The pit of hell runs through Russia right now.
Disinformation Fuels A White Evangelical Movement. It Led 1 Virginia Pastor To Quit
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/21/969539514/disinformation-fuels-a-white-evangelical-movement-it-led-1-virginia-pastor-to-qu
Parker,
Good article. The reporter did a great job ferreting out how Xn nationalism works at the ground level.
I don’t know, maybe we’re better off calling ourselves, in the words of one of Tom Wright’s books, “simply Christian.”
Another thing I noticed was the animus to anything having to do with the Democratic Party. Believing their leaders are part of a sex trafficking ring, etc.
Good grief.
Democratic party animus can kill.
ACA — If you didn’t sign up because it was “Obamacare” and you have no access to decent healthcare. That almost always leads to a downward spiral.
Covid19– if you believed that wearing masks is just a liberal/Democratic plot or whatever, you or loved ones could wind up dead.
Political parties in themselves don’t kill. Ideologies kill.
Parker..great comment. Also..Alfred E. Neumann is my hero. And a mustached AEN is a gift from God. 😀