Retreat

Well, it happened again.  I allowed myself to get sucked into someone else's social media political rants, simply because I couldn't stand by and let outright lies rule the day.  One happened to be an article discussing the a-morality of American society in general.   Yes, there are exceptions, but when rap lyrics say the same things as Donald Trump, Both Hillary and President Obama have been caught on video doing the same things, and Miley Cyrus/Beonce/etc can grab crotches/perform faux sex acts on stage in front of millions and it is referred to as "expression," we have a problem, both in terms of bias and morality.   And lest we lose sight of the simple fact that there are over 300 million people in America, and our choices in this upcoming election all deserve to be at or near the bottom of the barrel.

Yes, I believe that God is in charge.  Yes, I believe that we are ultimately doomed as a society.  I find no reason to hope, simply because I believe that a major social correction is coming.  I believe that is what will ultimately shake up the fabric of this nation, because until individual hearts begin to recapture some semblance of morality and outrage over the "deviancy as the new normal" policies in society, we cannot and must not survive.  Why, you may ask?  Simply because we cannot trust our government, which protects the powerful and destroys those with whom their chosen party disagrees.  We cannot trust those to whom are charged with our protection and safety: politicians.  We cannot trust the news outlets, who spin, deceive, and outright lie to further their own agendae.  We cannot trust the FBI, who prosecuted other people for committing the same crimes as Hillary Clinton, and yet give her a pass  on her perjury, treason, and crimes.  In short:  the world is rapidly descending into chaos, anarchy, lawlessness, Godlessness, and a-morality.  And we are responsible.

Cardinal Frances George of the archdiocese of Chicago passed away last year, losing his fight against cancer.  What is fascinating is a statement he made a couple of years prior, that though he claimed was not prophetic, certainly seems - based on history  - to be playing itself out before our eyes.  Here is what he said:  “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history.”  Indeed, we are living in a time of outright hostility toward the church of Jesus Christ, and also outright rejection of God.  This immediately makes me think back to another time in history in which the church found itself in retreat from the world's rejection and hostility toward it.  It helped give rise to the monastic communities that in some measures, still exist today.

Granted there was much more to their development than a mere retreat in the face of worldly hostility, and it is not my intent to go into history here.  Rather, as we look ahead at the inevitable chaos that is coming (and it is indeed coming should we continue on the course this country is on), the church will either be forced underground once again, or must choose to retreat to such a position simply because of the world's hostility toward it.

I realize how pessimistic this sounds.  Believe me:  the only hope I can take right now for our future comes through knowing that Christ Jesus will come again, and that God is ultimately in control.  Aside from that, we are not.  And we are so far off the rails I fear we can never get back on track.  I also know that the church can and will survive, and will, as Cardinal George somewhat prophetically uttered, one day help to pick up the shards of yet another ruined society and proclaim Christ to a people once again ready to listen.  That day is not today.  But I fear there is indeed a storm coming.  Whether now or later, we may retreat, but we will never surrender.  This I promise, by the grace and help of God.