A Call to Man Up………
Some things are certain. Gravity works. Some people are, kind and compassionate and give of themselves for the sake of others, they seek to save others Some men are evil, they live to destroy, to hate, and to steal life from others. We live in a world where because of the reporting of world wide news events it is more apparent than ever, that these things are true.
So where does that leave us, the folks in the middle, the ones that are not evil, that make mistakes, but not with malice. We’re the ones that hate evil, but find a way to pray for evil doers. We’re the ones that hurt when five service men are shot down in cold blood, and don’t understand why our president thinks one young black man that forced a policeman to shoot him in self defense is worth more. All lives matter, black ones, white ones, yellow, and red too. No one should be have their life cut short, no one. For me it is very sad when young men and women join our arm services to protect us, to serve us, the make out land safer, and die when an armed conflict is not supposed to be happening.
I have no answers. I’ve searched my heart, I still have no answer4s. When you don’t know what to do or say, it’s best to go back to what you are absolutely sure you know. Here goes,
God loves us more than we could ever understand.
His Son died so that we could be forgiven for all our sins.
He was beaten, mocked, spat on and then nailed to a cross. The soldiers that drove the nails into his hands and feet, made fun of Him, the Son of God, and yet they laughed at them.
Then He did the most unbelievable thing imaginable, He looked down and stared at the very men that did this to Him and said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
How could He ever expect us to do what He did?! But, then that is exactly what He said, just before He went home to His Father, he said, “As I have done, you do also.”
…..and that is why I have no answers. I know what I am to do, I know what I want to do. I can’t do what I should do, I do what I shouldn’t do, I think Paul said that too, and then he and some fishermen were very responsible for the Christian faith we have today, because they manned up. What will I do, what will you do, God help us, and I mean that in the most sincere way possible.
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 21st, 2015 at 5:27 pm
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Well said brother.
Thanks Doug.
Thank you for this excellent post.
God bless.
Bless you too. Rene!
Very powerful and thought provoking Bill.
I know that I need God’s help in determining what I should do but I can’t even figure out how to express what my questions should be or what I am trying to accomplish and thus what type of guidance I am looking for.
I am not comfortable forgiving the killer of innocent people — I understand and accept that God may do just that but I can’t bring myself to do it. Those young service people should never have to worry about losing their lives here in America from a terrorist act.
I can’t understand why members of another religion believe that they have to kill the members of any other religion to meet the guidance of their beliefs. I can’t understand why we should not be comfortable taking the necessary steps to protect our life, our family, our friends, our country and our religious beliefs — am I supposed to wait patiently until I am under an actual attack to respond? I truly believe in God but I am not sure that He doesn’t expect me to care for myself. Am I supposed to believe that this current government is going to protect me and my beliefs when they have not given any indication that it really cares about me and my beliefs?
Oops, Sorry for the rant but to me the current state of what is going on is way beyond my comfort level and I feel extremely powerless to significantly impact the situation. I definitely need God to help me!
I understand and feel all the things you said! I do believe we can defend ourselves physically, what I’m struggling with is how to stay where He wants me to be in my spirit, I know I can’t do it with out His power and love!
Amen. You can not imagine how much I am looking forward to next week and being able to focus on something that I can “control” a whole lot better than the current environment. I realize that the next week won’t probably do anything to change the current situation but it will go a long way towards giving me an island of sanity and something I understand with people I really enjoy!
My friend, I share your pain and angst. I have spent most of my adult life working in one way or another with people who made bad choices and often evil ones. Each time I think I have seen the worst something comes along to top it. It does not get easier. And it’s not just politicians.
In the instance you mentioned, we trust our military personnel to defend our country but they cannot defend themselves. A guy who was able to party during the Vietnam war attacks a sailor who suffered permanent injuries as a result of being a prisoner of war for over five years. Sick.
And then we have our president who has failed miserably to be an instrument for bringing people together. Giving credence and fuel to false claims of racial discrimination not only frustrate reconciliation but also detract from the legitimate ones. The most insidious forms of racism are those which intentionally or otherwise serve to keep people from their full potential. More than 50 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 we still have people who think we have to coddle one of more classes of people, to keep the training wheels on, to assume that they are somehow incapable or less capable of excellence and thus have to be given special consideration. What a horrible insult. Dr. King, who I met when I was in high school, would not approve because he believed in opportunity and excellence, in building bridges and in bringing people of good will together. But there are people who profit from division and derision and who have not committed themselves to reconciliation as Dr. King did. He essentially believed that after “fixing” the law the next task was to fix hearts. Today’s examples are so distant from that. They fail to realize that you lose your opportunity for dialogue when you rely on false examples and, worse, begin it by spitting in the other person’s face. And despite what their words may say their actions are consistent with keeping the training wheels on. Most folks I know are willing to judge a man on the content of his character but be careful of what you wish for because that also means judging poor character, too. As an ex-cop it would be disingenuous of me to say that I never saw racist behavior. I did. Not very often but it was there. But I also saw far more examples of false claims than meritorious ones. And I believe those who engage in either should be severely punished. Plus the training wheels have to come off. You cannot expect to get a good job without a good education and you won’t get that if you don’t go to school. If you don’t have a decent job your chances at decent housing are not terribly good. And poverty is not a good excuse for lawlessness. If it was the Great Depression would have seen even more crime. And stop blaming people who were not even born for the sins of their ancestors over which they have no control. Remember it is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness and that message ought to come from the top.
End of sermon…lol.
Well said!
agreed!
I can only describe some of the things around here as surreal. Many people (most people?) are uneasy five days after the shooting. On Thursday, from the time of the shootings, the news had almost non-stop coverage on the shootings. By mid-afternoon, several churches around Chattanooga had scheduled special prayer services for the evening. The churches opened their doors and welcomed everyone. There were no strangers at any house of prayer that night.
At the PSC meeting on Thursday, we opened with a moment of silence to remember the fallen and injured. Attendance was down. One PSC member I spoke to heard the shots at the Reserve Center. The night’s program was a welcome distraction from the day’s events.
On Thursday impromptu memorials were created by the public at both shooting locations. Governor Haslam and Senator Corker were at an 11:00 PM news conference in Chattanooga. On Sunday, Chattanooga police were directing traffic on Amnicola Highway where vehicles were driving slowly past the impromptu memorial while others were bringing flags, flowers, and balloons to place at the memorial. The space allotted for the memorial was overflowing with the items left. A group of over 100 motorcycle bikers came to Chattanooga over the weekend to honor the fallen and pay their respects.
Local interviews that never made the national news shows a community hurting but not being torn apart by the violence. If the actions of one was to destroy the community, it failed miserably. Instead of being torn apart, the community is pulling together. People are more cautious than there were a week ago but they are not hiding in fear. They have gone out to help their community recovery from the tragedy and to show the world that the terrorist did not win.
This is why I love you guys down there, Chattanooga is a great little city!! My prayers are with you guys! Continue to stand strong!
Back during the first Gulf War, they put us on guard duty at the American military hospital in Wurzburg, Germany since our equipment was being traded in for new gear and we’d be retrained…so we didn’t have much to do at that time. Anyway, they put us out there to check IDs and inspect cars for bombs before they enter. They issued us our M16 rifles, but with NO ammo. So, what good were we really? We were supposed to whack the invaders over the head with the M16 or what? Everyone always talks about firearms training and safety…but for those who have never been in the military (or the army specifically), let me tell you, we get training over and over and over again with the M16’s. How to use them properly/safely and how to clean/maintain them. If they don’t trust us with firearms, who the heck can they trust? Good grief. There’s no reason why active duty recruiters couldn’t have a weapon handy. Trust me, they know how to use it.
I know they do!
Well said, Bill. Keep sowing. So many are looking for answers in the wrong place. We are just beggars who have found bread and seeking to tell other beggars where they can find some.
God always provides bread here!
Well said Bill. I recently heard a great lesson by Andy Stanley in which he said the problem with laws is they only define minimum levels of behavior. They never challenge us to a better way of living. As long as we try to correct the ills of this world with laws, things will never get better. The only thing that will change this world is when more if us “Love the Lord our God with all our heart and love our neighbors as ourselves.” I believe that those in Charlotte showed us the way, and although the media didn’t show it many of those in Chattanoga also let their lights shine in a way this dark world doesn’t undestand, but those that saw it, were impacted by love. Never by laws.
Jim Erickson
Amen!
Bill,
Thank you for the message! I needed to hear these words.
Please, always speak your thoughts, because they are straight from the Bible, and more than ever, Christians need to stand tal, proud, and together!
Danny
Standing with Him!!!!
Amen Bill.
Twenty-five years doing what I do a few weeks ago…and it never gets any easier. A few weeks ago I viewed a photo essay of The Serbanica Massacre, ethnic cleansing incident. I was on the ground protecting the UN Mass Grave recovery teams a year afterwards for 30 days as an acting company commander. It repelled me, and the smell of old leather, decaying shoes, and methane still makes me do a double take today. I am afraid the conditions are being set for the same type of hatred here, or even just drug cartel wars because of our seemingly unstoppable appetite for drugs (and I’ve seen parts of that too…sickening as well). I think you should also note the role of drugs (prescribed and not) in this incident, and all the other mass shootings in this country. The information is there to see the problems with the psychotic drugs if we open our eyes to the truth.
We can only right the ship one way my friend, and you are already on it. We must preach the Gospel with our hearts, minds, deeds and words one person at a time. We must teach generations the Lord is our Savior, and his way is the truth and the life….for his words if followed will touch our souls to lead us away from despair and damnation. We will be spit on, hated and fretted over for doing this task. It does not lessen our calling to man up and make it happen though.
Stay strong, and know your heavy heart is in my prayers tonight.
Let me know when you are in my town down here in Georgia…you have a room with a view if you want it. Your friend in Christ.
Eric, I can’t imagine doing what you have to do to protect all of us, for your service to America, THANK YOU, for your service to our Lord, a duty we share, you are in my prayers!! Blessings!