Those of you who know me know that I rarely post e-mails. However, I do on occasion make an exception, and this is one of them. I received this one from a dear friend who, though the e-mail was originally addressed to another, thought I would be interested. I was. You should be too. I have omitted the salutation and the signature, because I did not receive permission to use them (actually, I did not receive permission to post any of it, but I’m pretty sure I’m in bounds here). In any case, it’s long, but worth the read.
Been doing a lot of thinking and praying about what is going on in the civil realm, and I’m coming to some not so happy conclusions. In fact, I’d say that some degree of suffering is inevitable at this point. Reflecting upon it spiritually, I’d argue that we will be experiencing some of God’s temporal judgments – He continues to adorn the glories of His law that the need for His Son might be known in the punishment of nations who flout their disobedience in His face.
The tipping point seems to be related to the state of His Church within that nation. For their good, when their need is greatest, He judges the nation as a means of disciplining His children.
To use the words of a radio/tv commentator, it seems to me that we are facing a perfect storm scenario. As one friend put it, when you see the tide get sucked out, that creates problems, but not as bad as the tidal wave about to rush back in will. I fear we are facing a tidal wave moment in our nation’s history.
There is a dearth of understanding of valid principles of civilization. Men of principle exist on both the “left” and the “right”.
Those on the “right” breakdown into two groups: (r-a) those who more or less grasp the right principles upon which a civilization can securely be built, and (r-b) those with little or no understanding of these principles and merely are motivated to maintain some status quo as it appears to them better than the alternative. The problem is that the latter group vastly outnumbers the former group, and really seems kind of embarrassed to even admit the former group exists. In the end, group (r-b) is best made up of pragmatic conservatives. Our last president is a good example. When faced with a difficulty for which he had no real understanding of foundational principles, pragmatism led him to make decisions rooted in the flawed principles from the “left.”
Those on the “left” also breakdown into two groups: (l-a) those who religiously hold to a set of principles that are diametrically opposed the nature of existence, and (l-b) those who moderately agree with these principles, but really support them more out of political calculation than they do principled conviction. Again, the latter group is larger, but here there is s a critical and dangerous difference from the groups on the “right.” Particularly, the fundamental principle necessary to getting it right when talking about civilization building is the concept of the fall of man, his own inherent selfishness and self-centeredness. Group (l-a) here not only does not recognize this principle, they fundamentally deny with it. They have bought the lie of the Tower of Babel and affirm a utopian position – we can be our own saviors. For them, the only source of selfishness, of wickedness, is within those who do not agree with them – and they are bent on destroying such enemies with a ruthlessness that is only surpassed by the wrath of a just God.
Sadly, the larger group (l-b), the ”what’s in it for me” pragmatists on the “left” see in these principles the means to support there own position, prestige and power. These are our politicians who are merely interested in power, not principle. A good example is our president in the 90’s. I am sadly dismayed that he is once again looked to as a source of wisdom, because he is so effective at wrapping up his own selfishness in the principles of the “left,” and then getting away with condemning the “selfishness” of the principles of the “right.”
Another example, and even more scary, is George Soros, the multi-billionaire investment financier who has been the chief “bank” for the “left” for the last 2 decades. In a recent article, I read where he said that the turbulence in the financial systems is “worse” than the Great Depression. Sadly, given how we have structured our civilization, he is right. The only solution is to “nationalize” the banks (which will be about as temporary as Social Security has proven to be.) We are already seeing men on the “right” (group r-b types, those who are pragmatic conservatives) saying this very thing (cf., Senator Lindsay Graham, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan). It startles me that they could so easily agree with a principle that a man like Soros would champion.
What is even scarier is the result of such nationalization. America has been the first country in history to secure as a common experience the possibility of social mobility. In any decade it has been an amazing evidence of blessing seeing the movement of people through the various 5th percentiles of wealth. Especially amazing is the number of people in any decade who have moved from the poorest 20% to the richest 20%. We have been blessed with poor who are richer than most of the richest in the history of the world, a middle class richer than most of the world’s upper middle class, rich who are richer than Midas and Solomon put together, and the ability for anyone to move through the ranks merely by the dint of their own effort. Such freedom is unheard of.
With the nationalization of banks we will lose this. The very wealthy such as Soros will be taxed (if we’re lucky), but only off the interest of their accumulated capital. The middle class however, the ones who pay the bulk of taxes in any civilization, will be taxed on their capital. The “stimulus” plan has already shown the necessity of this eating of the feed-corn.
Even worse, given how bad things will get, we are looking at a Joseph in Egypt scenario; otherwise reasonable people will willingly give up their freedom if it means that they can have bread for their family.
A whole host of other factors can be brought in and likewise examined to demonstrate that the storm about to break over us is like nothing we’ve ever seen. In Illinois they are talking about requiring “insurance” for gun ownership – a back door means of removing our 2nd amendment rights without alerting the sleeping populace. In Washington the FCC is making plans for “community” based regulations of the “fairness” of AM radio, and such “non-partisan” groups as ACORN have been promised billions in the stimulus bill just passed – so they have the resources to mount an effective attack on our 1st amendment rights. (Don’t worry, similar back door attacks on the Internet and Satellite radio will be just around the corner).
Illegal immigration on the border with Mexico may very well be the “foreign policy” crisis that cracks us. Already Mexico is facing a battle for their own civilization, and they are losing to the drug lords. Meanwhile the 8th largest economy in the world, California, is collapsing under the weight of the obligations to illegal immigrants, and all the citizens are doing about it is electing more people from the (l-b) and (r-b) groups – who merely argue over how fast to kill the golden goose that was California. Don’t doubt for a minute that when the 8th largest economy starts to go down, the willingness to trade security for slavery will sweep over all of us like a tidal wave.
Iran and North Korea inexorably pursing nuclear weapons; Pakistan is about to fall to radical Islam; the drop in oil prices resulting in civil unrest in the “moderate” Islamic countries where Al Qaeda factions are ready to sweep in; and America has news anchors who believe our president had to condescend to take on the role of a civil servant. Does it matter which country elects the Tyrant first?
Admittedly, things could putter along for quite some time. We do have a lot of wealth stored up. Yet long ago we lost the moral compass necessary to sustain civilization in a fallen world. It really is just a matter of time.
The only hope is that God’s people will humble themselves. How can we tell if we’ve humbled ourselves? Well – is the tidal wave still building up force? Yep! It’s a pretty sure bet to say we have not yet.
No, I’m not a pessimist either. Rather I’m a pilgrim. My life here is but a journey to a better land, to a civilization in which the principle of the fallenness of man does not exist, in which life is not made up of individual families competing with one another, but one grand family all caring for one another.
That cannot be experienced in this world. (To try to achieve it is the sin of Nimrod, and, from some perspectives, America’s.) But it can be lived in even now. This is the hope of the Church.
I’m rambling now, so I’ll stop. Please, please, do not be discouraged without hope. Instead use discouragement as the gift of God. Discouragement is a light that shines into our lives and exposes idolatry – we get discouraged when our idols, that which we depend upon more than God, don’t come through for us. So let the light of discouragement show you your idolatry (always very subtle) and rejoice in Christ that this idol is not only forgiven, but you are freed from slavery to it. Then tell others what you’ve learned and rejoice.
Christ truly is King.
Incidentally, the author does not believe in the gift of prophecy — a position with which I heartily disagree, and which we have debated on occasion. I believe he is a prophet (as I understand it) of the first order.