My
church is having a memorial service for a fallen soldier. He was from our town and only 20 years old. The honor to have this at our church is humbling.
I wish we didn’t have to face the possibility
of people coming to protest the funeral in the purported name of God. Like terrorists, they make us worry about how to
deal with them. They know enough to demand
their free speech and free assembly rights and I’ve heard they make a lot of money
in litigation when those rights are denied. The irony of them invoking the constitution
while horribly disrespecting those who are sworn to defend it is not lost on anyone.
In fact, so much about this seems wrong that
I want to share a story.
Imagine
a meeting in the depths of hell where there are always meetings, subcommittees
and portfolio facilitators. It goes like this:
The
mood in the meeting room was always the same.
Fear mixed with a lustful hate.
Desperation sounded in the voice of the speaker as the report was given.
“We are gaining strength nearly everywhere,”
the voice trembled. “In the developed
world, we have generations that are not loyal to… to the other.”
There was a sound at the end of the table
where light did not shine. When the
voice spoke from it, everyone in the room sank low.
“As long as there are any loyal to Him,”
came the hiss. “We must assault
them.”
“Popular culture makes loyalty to the
other undesirable,” the first one spoke.
“Popular culture is fleeting,” was the
reply. “There will always be those who
resist its draw. It has no real power.”
There was silence for a time. The fear rumbled softly like the ground
quaking.
A new, younger one slowly rose to speak. “So
then master,” he said. “We must have
some real power.”
All eyes looked to the new one.
“Yes,” said the master. “And what power do
I have?”
“Lies, master.”
“Lies,” said the master. “More than
lies. Deception. The truth, but with confusion and selfishness
and things of the world distorting it.”
“Yes, master,” came the reply. “So we
should be like them.”
There was a shudder from the others, but
the master kept calm.
“What would be the most damaging thing to
the other side?” the new one continued.”
“For some to pose as their own followers to quote His Words. But to do it in such a hateful way that the
world looks upon all of them with a distorted viewpoint. What a weapon we could have if the world
believed them to be of Him, but all along they were doing your work?”
The fear and hate in the room rose.
“Yes,”
the master hissed. “You will make this
happen. Go find some of His flock that
is unsure, guilty, weak. Begin to plant
in them ideas of how they might serve their master. Make them imagine themselves boldly doing His
work and deserving great reward. But
give them ideas filled with fear and hate.
Have them invoke His Words so loudly that the unreached believe that is
His way. Many will stay away from him,
yes.”
The other sank down and bowed. Pain and fear surrounded him as he departed.
The master looked to the rest. One spoke up:
“We will be victorious master,” he said.
“No,” the master stated. “In the end, we will lose. All we can do is take as many of the flock
away from Him.”
The departing one found some with hearts
that would hear. When their work began,
the effect was just what the master had desired.
The effect didn’t last as long as
though. Some of those that truly
belonged to Him prayed for the lost. And when the flock prayed, deception
fell.
I
won’t pretend to know what goes on in those meetings. But what this group does seems so wrong that I
think it was created there.
I
want to remember that these protesters are God’s children also. I wish that if they showed up, we could give them
coffee and doughnuts or somehow minister to their closed hearts. But they are in a cult. What’s more, this isn’t their day. This Friday, it’s about our hometown soldier and
his family and loved ones. There is nothing
to do but pray for these lost people.
Wish you had posted an e-mail address somewhere. I'm stopping by via Yahoo! Answers.
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