A Judas for Today
April 6, 2007 at 5:27 pm (America 101, Faith, Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, War on Terror)
One of The Anchoress’ posts from a couple of days ago continues to wobble around in my head. She has such a touch - such an insight - into things that are still in this world, but fewer and fewer have the capacity to see or feel it.
I have long believed that the hand of God can be witnessed. The hand of God is upon this man.
President Bush is doing what is unthinkable - he is staying true to the task laid out before him, to serve all the people. He is remaining faithful to that and he is counting on his God to do the rest, as his God has promised.
This is remarkable witness.
In an era when every special-interest group demands satisfaction for real or imagined “slights,” when Christians try to insist upon respectfulness from the arts, and radical Islamists demand blood or force conversions for any perceived “insult,” this Christian man stands before the world and insists only that the course of liberty be pursued and that he be allowed to protect the safety, rights and freedoms of his citizens. He does not insist that you treat him well. Quite the opposite. He looks at something you can’t see and he allows you to say anything about him you want to, and he holds fast to a promise.
Romans, Chapter 12, parallels her post - Read it, slowly, one verse at a time and imagine this president, this time, this age. Observe his Walk with the Master. This is why the media and the left hate him so. He’s genuine and unafraid. He stands on the promises that God gave him, and us; to protect him/us, to love him/us, to lift him/us up when others smash his/our faces into the mud. They are afraid of real truth.
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Left doesn’t understand what it is like to walk in someone else’s shoes; to pray “Dear Lord, take me instead” over a sick child; the ME generation is too busy with their poses in their mirrors - so how could they even begin to understand the sacrifice that was made for them?
They speak of movies like “The Passion of Christ” in terms of office receipts, or what it did for Mel, or the camera shots, or the special effects or blah blah blah. Does anything at all stick in that brain? I’ll tell you want stuck in mine - the scene where Jesus fell on the Via Delorosa and locked eyes with his mother. And the memory that flashed through her mind was of little Yeshua running, falling…skinning his knee. A mother’s fear, then reaction, then care and nurture for her child. Her child becomes our child. We look up at the cross and see the anguish. A sword truly pierces all our hearts.
As He died to make men holy, Let us die to make men free
(J.W. Howe / Battle Hymn of the Republic)
But there’s always another character that lurks about during Holy Week. The media just loves him, while bashing the true meaning of these days.
So today, on this Good Friday, we have our latest Judas. And she wears Hermes.
