[i]
Philippians 2:14-16
Christian Standard Bible
14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so
that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are
faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom
you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding
firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of
Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.
Over the last few months, we have endured politicians who
blatantly, boldly, unblushingly, and unabashedly lied to us about almost
everything. This is in a country that has become great by valuing honesty and concern
for all its citizens.
After listening to a president, who lost the latest election
by some seven million votes, maintain in almost every communication to the
nation that his presidency was stolen from him, I despaired. Two days earlier,
I had read his twitter calling for a massive protest in Washington when the
legislature of the country would confirm the report of the Electoral College on
their count of the country’s votes. I groaned when I read it. But I little
realized how violent this attempted coup would become in an attempt to destroy Congress.
On January 6, Sylvia and I drove 4 hours to visit some of
her cousins. We all wore masks and refrained from the usual familial embraces and
attempted to maintain social distance—just in case you wish to grumble and
argue that we were foolishly exposing ourselves to Covid-19. On the way there, Sylvia
read to me some inspiring accounts of the way God is taking a hand in the task
of giving every person on earth a copy of the scriptures in her own heart language.
Coming home that night, we also drove four hours, this time in the dark, so she couldn’t
read to me. I tuned in to the local news station. We listened absolutely
stunned by the mayhem these domestic terrorists—who branded themselves as
protestors—were wreaking on the Capitol. They were also intent on reaching
Vice-President, Mike Pence, and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, whom they
wished to kill. The President was hidden away in the White House watching the
destruction on TV. As president, he was head of the executive branch of the government,
and it is his duty to step in and stop the violence. Instead, he did nothing.
Nothing!
Indeed, you and I live in a “crooked and perverted
generation.” May we live in such a manner that we “shine like stars in the
world.” How will the world view our shining like stars? As Christ told it, “If they
persecute Me, they will persecute you, too.”[ii]
Take heart, however! Christ encouraged us when he prophesied:
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”[iii]
How was it in the days of Noah? “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”[iv] Sounds close to what we see and hear today.
Lord, we take heart, even as we see
corruption and violence flourish, knowing that You are coming again!
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