We live in odd times. Our government values public relations over the lives of its citizens, eagerly broadcasting every human rights abuse real or imagined committed by the previous administration in its apparently unforgivable pursuit of extracting information from those sworn to murder as many people under its protection as possible. Does the present leadership prefer currying favor with political allies over continued freedom that much?
Meanwhile, the Taliban controls vast stretches of Pakistan, bringing with it the brand of Islam that says in deed as well as word women are chattel and its followers are so weak-willed all who offend must immediately be killed lest they lead others astray, for surely they have no strength to resist the siren call of such debauchery as an exposed female face. Where is the outcry against such cowardly bullies as these? The prissy, pathetic Perez Hilton lambastes a beauty pageant contestant for not believing in gay marriage. Under the Taliban he would be swiftly killed for being gay. Yet it is the former receiving scorn while the latter is reacted to with a shrug. Remember, Pakistan has both nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. Should its government fall, as appears increasingly likely, these weapons will be in the hands of the Taliban, friend and ally of Bin Laden. Should not this be of more concern than the CIA waterboarding terrorists?
Now is the time for faith; not the refuge of the weak as God-haters claim but rather a sign of supreme strength by acknowledging our own weakness, frailty and failings. We need to turn to the living Christ for comfort and wisdom with which to confront the present evil, be it political correctness at the expense of security or the malevolent darkness practiced by those who follow a false pedophile of a prophet.
There are those on both sides of the political spectrum who say there is no room for us. We know that without us, they would have no rooms from which to preach such prattle. And so we press on, as Paul wrote:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
May we do likewise, whether anyone likes it or not.
