The history of Christianity is full of persecution. It started with the birth of Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem.
The devil had been causing misery and mayhem for thousands of years prior to this without interruption. He hated to have his authority challenged.
After the Holy Spirit descended and blessed Mary with a child, the battles of good versus evil began in earnest.
The war is eternal; at the moment we appear in retreat, our backs against the wall. It is real and it is here.
Ambivalence and denial are self- inflicted wounds. The applications of tourniquets are half measures.
They have stemmed the loss of precious life for 2,000 years, but are now thoroughly drenched and no longer have much if any benefit.
The book of Matthew tells us that “the gates of hell shall not prevail.”
I believe this and wish more than to just be a spectator. God demands participation. I know I need to do more.
Moments of mockery to our beliefs and to our faith have occurred since the Immaculate Conception. In the world in which we live today, these jeers have become more prevalent and blasphemous.
The technology we hold in our handheld devices and mount on the walls in our homes, show with crystal clear clarity an enemy who will not relent. Will they take a step backward, satisfied with the rot and ruin they've created? Most assuredly they will not.
A firestorm was lit after the grotesque display of the Last Supper during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. We are being told that it was an act of “inclusion” that would unite humanity during the competition and was purely unintentional.
We are being told that the depiction and resemblance of Jesus and the Apostles breaking bread for the final time before his crucifixion was merely a coincidence. And we are being told that if by any reason it was offensive to the followers of Christ, a sincere apology is extended and our forgiveness is requested.
Bull. It didn't unite anything. It only solidified the division between two opposing sides, and one of the sides is more willing to continue the assault.
Religions consist of many different forms. Most I believe are peace loving. Others I assume are not, aiding and abetting anarchy wherever and whenever possible. The belief system in a supreme being, in a creator, and in salvation are various and wide spread.
I won't debate theologies here nor will I be condescending to a differing point of view about the path an individual will choose. And unless a soul has been directed onto a darker road while amongst the living, the rest of us simply desire harmony with one another and with our Savior. This doesn't, however, require never being the aggressor.
I'm waiting, wanting so badly for someone with a high clerical capacity to stand up and say it like it is without parables — a strong voice that echoes conviction and truth; no dancing around or sugar coating the stone cold facts of life and death, mortal and spiritual — one man, one woman, one God.
The scenes from Paris are not the first insults to Christ and certainly will not be the last. Memories will fade and hearts will weaken and encroachments will continue. The abominations of contempt will become more frequent and overt. The devil does not grow weary.
The tests are on the desk and we know what the answer is, it has one question. The report card will have an A+ if we just turn it in.
