You know that feeling, don’t you? That feeling that you get when a DPS Trooper, Sheriff’s Deputy, or Police car starts following you. You are sitting in the driver’s seat, and your body tenses up. You look at all the gauges. You check your speed. You wonder about your tags. You wonder about your lights. Your heart races, and you wonder if lights will suddenly flash and sirens will wail. If the trooper follows you for any length of time, your symptoms become worse. The fear starts rising. Are you in trouble or not?
Take that little bit of fear that you have felt during those times and multiply it by a thousand, and you might get close to what the shepherds were experiencing on that hillside outside of Bethlehem nearly 2000 years ago. Luke recounts the tale, and we heard it just a few minutes ago, “8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” English sometimes is a poor conveyor of meaning, and this is one case in point. The ancient Greek literally reads, “and they feared great fear.” Whenever Greek uses two of the same words in conjunction like that, it is adding tremendous emphasis. Terrified might not quite cut what the shepherds were experiencing at that moment. Perhaps a better word might be–panic. The shepherds panicked!!
Have you ever wondered why? Why would the shepherds panic when they saw an angel of the Lord? I mean we don’t seem to have too much of a problem with angels. We talk about them showing up from time to time. We put them on the tops of our Christmas trees. We dress up kids as angels during our Christmas programs. We consider them blessings; signs of hope; signs of peace and joy. We seemingly have no fear of angels. But these shepherds did. They panicked when they saw one. They were absolutely terrified. Shaking. Trembling. Cowering with deep fear. Have you ever wondered why?
Consider the idea that these shepherds believed that the Day of the Lord was now upon them. Consider the idea that they believed that the Lord was now coming to judge the world and set up His kingdom. Now, if you have been raised as a Christian, you might wonder why this is such a bad thing. Aren’t we hoping for that day? Aren’t we longing for the day when the Lord will come to make everything right? Why would this be such a bad thing for those shepherds? Well, to be blunt, you are looking at this day post-Jesus. The ancient Jews had a very different understanding of the day of the Lord. It wasn’t going to be all that bright and shiny.
Consider these important biblical texts regarding the day of the Lord. These would have been the scriptures read to those shepherds who were on that hillside watching this angel appear to them.
Consider Isaiah 13 verses 6-9, “6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty! 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will fail, 8 and they will be dismayed. Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. 9 See, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners from it.” Does that sound like a day to look forward to?
Consider Amos chapter 5 verses 18-20, “18 Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; 19 as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. 20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?”
One last passage. Consider Zephaniah chapter 1 verses 14-17, “14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. 17 I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the Lord, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.”
Now, after hearing those passages, and if you had been taught this from the beginning of your religious life, and if you suddenly seen a heavenly angel towering above revealing the power of God, how do you think you would feel? Don’t you think you might be a little concerned that all that once was told you was coming true? Don’t you think you would be terrified, panicked, overwhelmed and ready to crawl into a hole? The shepherds were. They were terrified. They panicked.
But their panic was transformed with some unexpected words that flowed from the lips of the angel, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” What the angel spoke was good news. If there is nothing else that you remember from this sermon tonight, please remember these next words: Good news drives away fear.
Good news drives away fear.
The shepherds were expecting the promised day of the Lord–a day that was foretold to be horrible as God’s wrath was poured down and God exacted vengeance upon sin. The shepherds expected to be blasted with holy fire, but instead were met with the news that God was acting in quite a different way. Instead of unleashing wrath, God was unleashing salvation. For the Jews believed that the Messiah would usher in God’s kingdom of peace, joy, and prosperity. The Messiah would be the one who was to set things to rights. The Messiah would be the one who would turn the world upside down and bring freedom from all that oppresses! Oh, this news was not to be feared in the least. This news was not to cause panic. This news was full of hope. This news was full of promise. This news was full of joy.
Certifying that this was indeed the case, a whole host of angels filled the skies and broke into song. They proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest and peace among those whom He favors!!” This was not a wrathful day at all. It was a day to be celebrated.
It is no wonder that the shepherds’ fears were transformed into hope and joy. It is no wonder they arose and spoke amongst each other and said, “Let us go now to Bethlehem to see this thing that the angels have made known to us.” Good news drove away their fear, and they responded with reckless abandon to seek out total strangers and witness God’s action in the world. Truly good news has that effect on people.
Think about how transformative good news is. Think about the cancer patient who is declared cancer free. What is the reaction? Think about the person who has suffered the loss of a job who is told, “We’d like to offer you a better job.” Think about the couple who has struggled with infertility who discovers they are pregnant. Think about the family who is struggling to make ends meet who receives an unexpected financial windfall. Think about the military family who received word that their deployed loved one will be home for Christmas. Good news transforms folks and brings true joy.
But in most cases, such joy is short lived. Either by the fact that something else comes along that changes circumstances or the fact that what is good news to one person is the exact opposite for another person. For instance, in some of the above examples–the family who was struggling to make ends meet receives and unexpected financial windfall, but in two months, the windfall has run out, and they are back to square one. The military family whose loved one came home for Christmas finds out their loved one will be deployed for Easter. Circumstances change.
This past election cycle saw roughly half of the country pleased and excited about the outcome–it was good news. However, for the other half of the country, fear, angst, and anger was the response–it was not good news. A factory that decides to uproot and move to another location is certainly bad news for the current employees of that factory, but it is good news to the jobless who will benefit from the factory’s move. Hearing that Tom Savage is going to be the Texans’ quarterback is good news for all Texan fans, but it is certainly not good news for Brock Osweiller. Do you see how that works? Do you see how oftentimes good news is short lived or how good news is not necessarily good news for everyone? Can you see how because of this fear easily gains a foothold and even sometimes becomes the driving force in our lives?
And so we must ask: Is there good news that indeed is good news for everyone; that is long lasting; that brings joy and peace and assurance no matter if circumstances change? Is there such news that can bring transformation to our entire lives? Is there such news that will drive away fear and give us a sure and certain hope?
What if I told you, there was? What if I told you that the news of this night–the birth of the Messiah who is Christ the Lord–leads us straight toward that Good News of Great Joy that never ends? No, it’s not simply a baby in a manger that encapsulates that good news, but it is the fact that that baby will grow and lead us all to a cross and an empty tomb.
For it is on the cross that the God of this universe dies for each and every one of us. It is on the cross that the God of the universe makes sure that we are right with Him. It is on the cross where all of the things that separate us from God–our sin, our selfishness, our desire to call our own shots, our failure to love one another, our failure to be compassionate, our failure to live the lives that deep down we know we are supposed to live–all of these things are forgiven and paid for by God Himself. Jesus, the God in flesh, takes all of these things and much more upon Himself so that you are free of any guilt of your failures. Nothing in the past can haunt you. You can walk free. This is good news.
And it is in the empty tomb that we find assurance that all that is bad will be transformed. All that is evil will become good. All pain will be taken away. All hate will turn to love. All darkness will turn to light. All despair will turn to hope. All death will spring to life. Whatever it is that you are facing, even should it bring death to your body, will be transformed by the God who holds the future in His hands. The resurrection is proof of God’s transformative power over the future. And if you trust that your future is in God’s hands–if you trust the promises of God, what do you have to fear? The answer is nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The cross. The resurrection. God’s reconciling action. God’s promise of hope. This is good news for all. This is news which has no down side. This is news of a life-changing scale. Countless Christians from the time of the resurrection have had their lives changed because they trusted in these promises. From the shepherds on that hillside to the martyrs who died singing in flames to ordinary people like you and me. This good news has taken away fear and brought hope to billions. This good news that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who trust in Him should not perish but have eternal life; for God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it.
May we trust in this promise. May we trust in this good news. May we have our fears removed so that we may experience peace, hope, love and joy. Merry Christmas!! Amen.
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Monster isn't so Bad
How many of you here this morning have ever read “The Monster at the End of this Book?” I think we have at least a couple of copies of this book at my house. It’s based upon the Sesame Street character Grover. Grover is a furry, lovable monster who is quite full of drama. I used to love him as a kid because every once in a while, he’d become Super Grover and fly through the air. But that is beside the point.
For those few of you who might not be familiar with this kids’ book, Grover starts off by saying, “What, what did that say? On the cover? Did that say there would be a monster at the end of this book? Oh no. That’s terrible. I am so afraid of monsters!” As the book goes on, Grover begs the reader not to turn the page. He nails the pages together. He builds brick walls. No matter what happens, the pages keep getting turned.
At last, we get to the page just before the end. Grover pleads and pleads and pleads. “The next page is the end of the book, and there is a monster at the end of this book. I am so afraid of monsters. Please don’t turn the page. Please. Please. Please. Please.” Grover is sorely afraid.
Most of the children I have read this book to in my life love this story. In many ways they resonate with it. What child isn’t afraid of monsters? I mean, I don’t care how hard we as parents try, eventually our kids are exposed to those things which go bump in the night. Whether or not it’s Scooby Doo or Twilight or some other such fiction, sooner or later they learn about vampires, werewolves, blobs, ghosts, and goblins. Sooner or later they have nightmares about such things, and we as parents have to comfort them and tell them, “These things are imaginary. There’s no such things as monsters.”
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, as they get older, kids grow out of such beliefs in monsters, ghouls and goblins. But the interesting thing that I have found, is that even as we grow up and put those fears aside, we do not stop being afraid. In fact, in many ways, our fears just leap from one particular thing to another. And I have come to think that as a nation, as a society, we suffer from an incredible amount of fear.
What are we afraid of? Let’s start the list:
One of the main items of fear since September 11, 2001 is terrorism. To stave off any sort of terrorist attack, we’ve battened down the hatches at airports. We’ve created the NSA. We’ve allowed spying on citizens lives in cyberspace and in reality. We’ve killed suspected terrorists and their children without trial or evidence that they have indeed committed an act of terror. And there is more that such agencies and the government would like to do to keep us safe.
There are many who are extremely afraid of crime. There is a heightened sense of fear as one reads the news stories about school shootings, inner city gang violence, and the beatings/killings of innocent people who are just going about their daily lives. Depending upon which side of the political aisle you sit on, you believe the answer either has to do with more government power or making people take personal responsibility.
We are afraid of losing our health. Talk to anyone who is having to deal with the recurring nightmare of dealing with a major injury or cancer or an extended hospitalization. They will flat out tell you how much of a headache they get from dealing with the whole medical industry. They will tell you they wonder how it is possible for anyone who is poor to pay for healthcare. They will tell you how much it costs them to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. They will tell you the frustration in dealing with medications and their side effects. So, we throw ourselves into all sorts of exercise routines and diets. We are told to eat organically and locally even though it costs quite a bit to do this.
We are afraid of losing our money and income. Whether it’s by losing our jobs or by having the government increase taxes or by the oil and gas companies increasing the cost of gasoline, we are afraid of not having enough money to live on. We are afraid of having to cut back on what kind of lifestyle we live in. We are afraid to be more generous with the money we have and make just in case we might need it in the future.
We are afraid of the weather. Whether it’s the threat of climate change or the threat of drought or the threat of hurricanes or tornados, we are flat out scared of the weather. It’s unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try to control it. We’ve got to change our behavior so that the climate changes and we won’t have more rain, less rain, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, or what have you. Think about that for a minute–the suggestion we can actually control the weather.
Oh, and I think I’m just touching the tip of the ice berg. I think there are more than a few more fears and concerns I could throw out there. I haven’t even dealt with the fears we as parents face when dealing with our children. Will they do well in school? Will they run with the right crowd? Will they end up making good decisions? Will they end up like Miley Cyrus?
Fear after fear after fear pounds us. News story after news story raises our anxiety. Television commercial after television commercial scares us and then promises a product witch will offer salvation. Documentary after documentary appears telling us that food isn’t safe to eat, water isn’t safe to drink, our cars aren’t safe to drive, and our homes are full of toxins.
Is it any wonder people in our society tend to be more and more isolated? More and more inward focused? More and more depressed? More and more unwilling to simply engage and talk to each other? It’s much safer to text or email or perhaps call someone instead of having a real, live, sit down conversation. After all, that other person might get angry with something you say or challenge a point of view you hold and realize one more fear: the fear of conflict.
And it would be fortunate if we could come to church and find some comfort. It would be nice to come to church to hear a word from God which would cut through the fear and anxiety and help us to walk through the world with confidence. But all too often, we hear the opposite–or we hear claims of falsehood. We either arrive to have the hell scared into us so that we may believe to avoid the pitfalls of the eternal fire. Or we arrive to have our awareness raised about some other problem we cannot possibly hope to solve. Or we arrive to have a preacher tell us if we just believe enough, our best days are ahead of us and God will provide us with wealth, health and prosperity.
Alas, oftentimes, we leave the confines of these four walls beaten down even further thinking we are somehow inadequate because we do not measure up to God’s standards. We are sinful. We are part of sinful structures. We don’t have enough faith to attain prosperity and the perfect life.
Is there a word of hope for us? Is there a word that actually speaks to our situation? Is there a word which acknowledges the reality of fear and anxiety; acknowledges our inability to overcome it and change ourselves and the world; and yet offers us hope? Is there such a word?
Take a listen to this word; a word given by the writer of Hebrews. See if it hits you where you live: 3Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’
What can anyone or anything do to me? We know how we are called to live. We know not everyone accepts this way of life. We know we may suffer along the way, but we know how it all ends. We know the page will turn.
When the final page of “There’s a Monster at the End of This Book” is reached, Grover looks around and says, “Well, what do you know? This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me. I, lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book. I told you and told you there was nothing to worry about.”
For those of us who are Christian, the end of the book is God and His Kingdom. The end of the book is resurrection. The end of the book is hope. Therefore, we can live God’s Word daily by saying with confidence: the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Amen.
For those few of you who might not be familiar with this kids’ book, Grover starts off by saying, “What, what did that say? On the cover? Did that say there would be a monster at the end of this book? Oh no. That’s terrible. I am so afraid of monsters!” As the book goes on, Grover begs the reader not to turn the page. He nails the pages together. He builds brick walls. No matter what happens, the pages keep getting turned.
At last, we get to the page just before the end. Grover pleads and pleads and pleads. “The next page is the end of the book, and there is a monster at the end of this book. I am so afraid of monsters. Please don’t turn the page. Please. Please. Please. Please.” Grover is sorely afraid.
Most of the children I have read this book to in my life love this story. In many ways they resonate with it. What child isn’t afraid of monsters? I mean, I don’t care how hard we as parents try, eventually our kids are exposed to those things which go bump in the night. Whether or not it’s Scooby Doo or Twilight or some other such fiction, sooner or later they learn about vampires, werewolves, blobs, ghosts, and goblins. Sooner or later they have nightmares about such things, and we as parents have to comfort them and tell them, “These things are imaginary. There’s no such things as monsters.”
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, as they get older, kids grow out of such beliefs in monsters, ghouls and goblins. But the interesting thing that I have found, is that even as we grow up and put those fears aside, we do not stop being afraid. In fact, in many ways, our fears just leap from one particular thing to another. And I have come to think that as a nation, as a society, we suffer from an incredible amount of fear.
What are we afraid of? Let’s start the list:
One of the main items of fear since September 11, 2001 is terrorism. To stave off any sort of terrorist attack, we’ve battened down the hatches at airports. We’ve created the NSA. We’ve allowed spying on citizens lives in cyberspace and in reality. We’ve killed suspected terrorists and their children without trial or evidence that they have indeed committed an act of terror. And there is more that such agencies and the government would like to do to keep us safe.
There are many who are extremely afraid of crime. There is a heightened sense of fear as one reads the news stories about school shootings, inner city gang violence, and the beatings/killings of innocent people who are just going about their daily lives. Depending upon which side of the political aisle you sit on, you believe the answer either has to do with more government power or making people take personal responsibility.
We are afraid of losing our health. Talk to anyone who is having to deal with the recurring nightmare of dealing with a major injury or cancer or an extended hospitalization. They will flat out tell you how much of a headache they get from dealing with the whole medical industry. They will tell you they wonder how it is possible for anyone who is poor to pay for healthcare. They will tell you how much it costs them to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. They will tell you the frustration in dealing with medications and their side effects. So, we throw ourselves into all sorts of exercise routines and diets. We are told to eat organically and locally even though it costs quite a bit to do this.
We are afraid of losing our money and income. Whether it’s by losing our jobs or by having the government increase taxes or by the oil and gas companies increasing the cost of gasoline, we are afraid of not having enough money to live on. We are afraid of having to cut back on what kind of lifestyle we live in. We are afraid to be more generous with the money we have and make just in case we might need it in the future.
We are afraid of the weather. Whether it’s the threat of climate change or the threat of drought or the threat of hurricanes or tornados, we are flat out scared of the weather. It’s unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try to control it. We’ve got to change our behavior so that the climate changes and we won’t have more rain, less rain, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, or what have you. Think about that for a minute–the suggestion we can actually control the weather.
Oh, and I think I’m just touching the tip of the ice berg. I think there are more than a few more fears and concerns I could throw out there. I haven’t even dealt with the fears we as parents face when dealing with our children. Will they do well in school? Will they run with the right crowd? Will they end up making good decisions? Will they end up like Miley Cyrus?
Fear after fear after fear pounds us. News story after news story raises our anxiety. Television commercial after television commercial scares us and then promises a product witch will offer salvation. Documentary after documentary appears telling us that food isn’t safe to eat, water isn’t safe to drink, our cars aren’t safe to drive, and our homes are full of toxins.
Is it any wonder people in our society tend to be more and more isolated? More and more inward focused? More and more depressed? More and more unwilling to simply engage and talk to each other? It’s much safer to text or email or perhaps call someone instead of having a real, live, sit down conversation. After all, that other person might get angry with something you say or challenge a point of view you hold and realize one more fear: the fear of conflict.
And it would be fortunate if we could come to church and find some comfort. It would be nice to come to church to hear a word from God which would cut through the fear and anxiety and help us to walk through the world with confidence. But all too often, we hear the opposite–or we hear claims of falsehood. We either arrive to have the hell scared into us so that we may believe to avoid the pitfalls of the eternal fire. Or we arrive to have our awareness raised about some other problem we cannot possibly hope to solve. Or we arrive to have a preacher tell us if we just believe enough, our best days are ahead of us and God will provide us with wealth, health and prosperity.
Alas, oftentimes, we leave the confines of these four walls beaten down even further thinking we are somehow inadequate because we do not measure up to God’s standards. We are sinful. We are part of sinful structures. We don’t have enough faith to attain prosperity and the perfect life.
Is there a word of hope for us? Is there a word that actually speaks to our situation? Is there a word which acknowledges the reality of fear and anxiety; acknowledges our inability to overcome it and change ourselves and the world; and yet offers us hope? Is there such a word?
Take a listen to this word; a word given by the writer of Hebrews. See if it hits you where you live: 3Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’
What can anyone or anything do to me? We know how we are called to live. We know not everyone accepts this way of life. We know we may suffer along the way, but we know how it all ends. We know the page will turn.
When the final page of “There’s a Monster at the End of This Book” is reached, Grover looks around and says, “Well, what do you know? This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me. I, lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book. I told you and told you there was nothing to worry about.”
For those of us who are Christian, the end of the book is God and His Kingdom. The end of the book is resurrection. The end of the book is hope. Therefore, we can live God’s Word daily by saying with confidence: the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Amen.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Why I Will Not Unplug
Thanks to Edward Snowden and the Guardian (British newspaper), those of us in the U.S. have now been informed that tons of internet (email, Facebook, Google, etc.) data is being collected by the U.S. government. We also know that Verizon Wireless customers have had their metadata collected by the U.S. government. It's a pretty safe bet other phone companies are being required to hand over their metadata as well--even though we don't have those news stories at this point.
I remember reading 1984. Anyone else having flashbacks?
But here is the thing for me: I refuse to unplug. I refuse to watch what I say. I refuse to code my language or cease and desist from saying certain things on this blog or on my Facebook account. I refuse to get rid of my cell phone. Was there a desire to do so? Yep.
Unplug.
Get away!
Don't let them look at you.
Now, I like my privacy. Don't get me wrong. I'm not exactly thrilled with the knowledge that someone is monitoring every word I type or put out there. I'm not exactly thrilled that there are those who might try to use what I say as fodder for coming after me in one fashion or another.
But if I give into those fears, then I've truly lost my freedom.
If I give into those fears, then my voice gets lost because of a perceived or real threat.
If I give into those fears, then I have to run into a field to hide and find just a little bit of escape. (Remember that from the book?)
I refuse to do that.
There were those in early Judea who tried to silence Christians. Thankfully, the early disciples and followers refused to keep silent. What would the world look like if they had kept their mouths' shut?
There were those in the Roman Empire who tried to silence Christians. They even went so far as to kill and feed Christians to wild animals in arenas. What would have happened if such tactics would have silenced those Christians?
Where would the Church be if those souls had ceased speaking about Christ and His death and resurrection? What if they would have succumbed to the pressures of government and the authorities? History would be vastly different, that is for sure.
In many ways, we as Christians shouldn't have to worry about such matters. St. Paul instructed us in Romans 13:
Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7Pay to all what is due to them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
This is not rocket science.
Of course, we are to remember who the ultimate authority is:
But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. --Acts 5:29
So, if we are commanded to do something against the will of God, we are to disregard any rules which would force us to do this; otherwise, we are to go about our business--doing good; proclaiming Christ; being responsible; working to make the world a better place.
The world includes the internet and the technology of cell phones these days. I don't believe in running away from this. I believe in being courageous--and not living in fear.
I remember reading 1984. Anyone else having flashbacks?
But here is the thing for me: I refuse to unplug. I refuse to watch what I say. I refuse to code my language or cease and desist from saying certain things on this blog or on my Facebook account. I refuse to get rid of my cell phone. Was there a desire to do so? Yep.
Unplug.
Get away!
Don't let them look at you.
Now, I like my privacy. Don't get me wrong. I'm not exactly thrilled with the knowledge that someone is monitoring every word I type or put out there. I'm not exactly thrilled that there are those who might try to use what I say as fodder for coming after me in one fashion or another.
But if I give into those fears, then I've truly lost my freedom.
If I give into those fears, then my voice gets lost because of a perceived or real threat.
If I give into those fears, then I have to run into a field to hide and find just a little bit of escape. (Remember that from the book?)
I refuse to do that.
There were those in early Judea who tried to silence Christians. Thankfully, the early disciples and followers refused to keep silent. What would the world look like if they had kept their mouths' shut?
There were those in the Roman Empire who tried to silence Christians. They even went so far as to kill and feed Christians to wild animals in arenas. What would have happened if such tactics would have silenced those Christians?
Where would the Church be if those souls had ceased speaking about Christ and His death and resurrection? What if they would have succumbed to the pressures of government and the authorities? History would be vastly different, that is for sure.
In many ways, we as Christians shouldn't have to worry about such matters. St. Paul instructed us in Romans 13:
Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7Pay to all what is due to them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
This is not rocket science.
Of course, we are to remember who the ultimate authority is:
But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. --Acts 5:29
So, if we are commanded to do something against the will of God, we are to disregard any rules which would force us to do this; otherwise, we are to go about our business--doing good; proclaiming Christ; being responsible; working to make the world a better place.
The world includes the internet and the technology of cell phones these days. I don't believe in running away from this. I believe in being courageous--and not living in fear.
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