Many years ago in my sleepy little beach town I returned from a vacation in a tremendous heat wave only to find that while we were away the refrigerator went kaput. It would probably have been easy to say whoa is me. That same evening one of those tremendous summer storms came across the water. The storm was more intense than usual and it lasted well into the next morning. I noticed my mothers car was still in her driveway and so called to check on her - no answer. Eventually out of desperation I broke into her apartment and found her writhing in bed senseless having had a stroke during the night. It was very traumatic and it was the downward spiral that began for my mother. She died a shell of her former self, many years later under nursing care. And then I said, "what could happen next?" Big. Big, mistake. Within days my father had a stroke as well. There are so many lessons to be learned from this, the least of which is, don't ask "what could happen next?"
Some of us seem to have a penchant for bad things happening in our lives. Some people really embrace the negativity and 'horrors' of what has happened to them and that is near to what I am trying to get at. I really have a problem with people saying "whoa is me" all the time and thinking that they have it the worst, that they are the most put upon, that they are troubled more than anyone else. In that great poem of Max Ehrmann, Desiderata , he warns of not comparing yourself to others for there will always be those greater or lesser than you. The same is true of problems in life.
One day I was noting to someone casually that my mother ( noted above ), had died on my birthday. ( True. whoa is me?) That same someone then noted to me that her mother had died at her own wedding! Yikes. You think you can have it bad, or sad, or are mad, but there is always a topper. Max Ehrmann seems a very wise man. My similarly wise father in law once noted that if we were all to sit down and put our problems on the table for everyone to see, many of us would gladly choose what we have already.
And this brings us to today's passage, however long winded. There are a seemingly large group of 'Christians' in these United States that feel they are heavily put upon. Whoa are they for they have to abide by secular laws and are being persecuted right and left. They really have no idea what persecution is. Exaggerations that they will soon be gathered up like swine for slaughter is an insult to the many thousands ( millions?) of people who truly have been gathered up for slaughter. Early Christians, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Nazis and countless other atrrocities we have all committed on each other. Baking a cake for a gay couple? Really, get a grip on yourself. Besides, Jesus would have baked the freek'n cake. These hypocrites are mis-representing Holy Scriptures in the worst way.
The reason I am pointing this out is that today's passage speaks of the end times and persecution. Many of the pseudo Christians of today point to their 'persecution' as the beginning of the end times. Truly, they should not be comparing themselves to anyone who is persecuted because their "persecution" is so small as to be non existent. They do not know what true persecution is. Perhaps more importantly, while Jesus is speaking of the end times He himself notes that only the Father knows, not even Jesus himself.
So I would say, stop with the persecution complexes. Stop with the constant complaining and embracing negativity. Move forward in love and that is what we are all truly called to do. Comparisons and persecution complexes get everyone absolutely nothing.
Matthew 24:1-14
As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.
No comments:
Post a Comment