[Disclaimer: This is a long post that deals with a lot of complex issues and includes lots of ties between different ideas. So before you read it, you may want to make yourself some of your favorite tea, find a nice place to recline, and then jump in. The author of this post discusses and attempts to resolve many tensions between political and moral obligations, probably unsuccessfully. Enjoy.]
Saturday, the Bush Administration and New York agreed on new drivers licenses that are "federally approved secure licenses." It is the fourth state to do so, following Arizona, Vermont, and Washington. Arizona, for example, has a 3-in-1 license which is intended to: act as a driver's license, a passport-like document, AND proof of U.S. citizenship. Because it has the same security and utility in North America as a passport, it is going to be useful for those Arizonans who regularly drive across the border and buy stuff. However, New York has taken a radically different approach.
New York is offering three-tiers of licensing. The first tier is similar to AZ's in that it is a passport-grade ID card. The second tier meets federal standards for the Real ID act, which is an attempt to make it much harder for terrorists and illegal immigrants to get the ID. Sounds good so far. But the third tier is a license specifically for "undocumented immigrants." What does that mean? NY is giving licenses to illegal immigrants.
First of all, I want to point out that Homeland Security is not very happy about this. Giving illegal immigrants licenses seems to validate and affirm their existence here, which sends the wrong message. But the spokesperson for Homeland Security said that there was nothing he could do about the situation, because the federal government gives the states power on this issue.
What I don't understand about the situation is: why would an illegal immigrant get such a license that would tag them as obviously illegal? I know that will prevent them from being arrested if they get pulled over, but isn't that the lesser of two evils? If you have a license that points you out as illegal, then the NY governor could later decide that he wants to crack down on illegal immigrants and everyone with the ID would be far more easily rooted out. There was a quote in the CNN article that said: "Officials, however, would not say whether that meant local law enforcement could use such a license as probable cause to detain someone they suspected of being in the U.S. illegally." I suspect that it at least opens up this door.
The article further states that 500,000 to 1,000,000 are undocumented immigrants are living in NY and many of these are driving with no license and no insurance, or fake-licenses. That sure seems like a problem to me. And I'm not sure that they way to fix the issue is by giving them a license.
What is the difference between illegal and undocumented immigrants? I'm not entirely sure. If you are an immigrant who has no documentation, doesn't that make you illegal? Is that just the nicer way of saying it? I suspect so.
With a million illegal immigrants in NY, this is a considerable problem. In some ways, these people help the economy by working for less than minimum wage (which I think is an unfair price floor...what right does the federal government have to say what a legal hourly wage is and that anyone employing someone for less than that is in trouble with the law? But that's another discussion). Yet I'm sure it creates problems with taxes and loyalty to the U.S. But what are the moral implications of this growing mess?
In an effort to keep the post to a managable length, I want to just make a few points to encourage thought on how a Christian (or morally-concerned person) ought to think about immigration.
Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. He does not qualify with: "whether your neighbor is there legally or not." This is obviously because in Jesus' day, his culture was not experiencing the same political issues because nations did not exist in the sense that they do today. So what if my neighbor is an illegal immigrant? Is it right to love them and help them by doing what you can to help them evade the gaze of Big Brother? Or is it more loving to the rest of your neighbors to rat-out this illegal neighbor? Is it wrong for you to not bring it to the attention to the government, because the government ought to know who is within its bounds legally so that it can expel (or legalize) those "undocumented" immigrants?
This sounds very much like a theological-political problem-of-sorts. It is similar to the kind of moral dilemma of Cory ten Boom...who should you obey first, the government or your conscience? What is your moral responsibility before God? And what rights do you have? What rights does the government have?
I usually find it helpful to step away from the questions that are right in front of me and look at the siutation from the perspective of: "what is the spirit of the situation?" More specifically, how could I be most honoring to God in this situation? I suspect the answer varies from case-to-case. Sometimes, the Spirit will prompt you to help that illegal immigrant; in other situations, it is necessary to turn that person in. And I think it is beneficial to ask: What is the role of government? It is to protect its people and ensure their liberties (at least, as understood in the context of America). So if the influx of more and more illegal immigrants means that U.S. citizens are going to be hurt economically, then the government ought to fix the problem. Economic hurt would be the symptom, the entrance of illegal immigrants would be the problem. What is the best way to fix the problem?
I am reminded of a decision that the Framers of the Constitution came to in 1789. One of the Southern representatives agreed that slavery was not a good thing, but also admitted to make it illegal and remove all slaves immediately was impossible. Thus he proposed that allowing the South twenty years to stop the importation of slaves would be the best compromise. I believe the wisdom of taking a gradual approach is very pertinent in the case of illegal immigrants in the U.S. Thinking specifically of the Mexican border, taking the time to build a complete fence ought to help as a preventative measure. Then discovering the immigrants still in the U.S. and deporting them in waves back to their country of origin over the course of many years would be wise. And just because a child of an illegal immigrant was born on U.S. soil ought not make that child a legal citizen...and even if it does, that does not mean that the parents deserve to stay. In the interests of not breaking up families, the parents and children ought to be sent back together. "What is citizenship?" is a question that will have to be determined in order to resolve the situation. Additionally, if all of the illegal immigrants were sent back in the same wave (it's not possible, but for the sake of emphasis, let us consider), the economic damage that would occur in many companies in the U.S. would be monstrous. That is why a gradual approach is wise. I would be more prone to vote for a candidate next year who has a thoughtful, long-range plan on how to deal with this immigration issue.
They say that history, if not remembered, repeats itself. We ought not forget what happened to Rome. Please do not misinterpret my analogy. When Rome ruled in the days of Julius Caesar and even much later in the days of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman world was very secure from barbarian invasions. Rome was the ultimate military force in the world. But slowly, over the next two centuries, barbarians continued to be enveloped into the Roman Empire. Because the best way to prove loyalty and get presitige was by being in the army, many barbarians were in the army. Then Rome started having some serious problems. In 410 A.D., the Vandals invaded the empire and sacked Rome. The Visigoths did it again in 455 A.D. And of course, Rome finally fell in 476 A.D., thus ending the rule of the Romans. But the reason that Rome fell to the barbarians was two-fold. First, the empire was getting soft with depravity, but the second reason was that the Roman legion continued to be watered-down with barbarians who were not loyal to Rome, nor as talented and disciplined warriors. Thus the fifth century brought about significant defeats of Rome, which lead the their demise.
I point this out to encourage thought: Is the U.S. going through the same thing? Surely, the situation is more economic than militaristic, but the situation could ultimately have similar, devestating results. Are illegal immigrants weakening our country? How could they not be? They don't know the language and they don't have the loyalty, nor the skills! If that's not weakening, I'm not sure what to call it. And if we are being weakened, at what point does the weakness cause the nation to start breaking apart?
When it comes down to it, I'm very uncertain on what course of action ought to be taken. But, as Jim Collins encourages leaders to do in his book, Good To Great, facing the brutal facts is the first step in fixing any problem and creating a great situation. This is an issue that must be addressed, and very soon, as whatever strategy that is selected ought to be considered wisely over a period of time, and it will surely take even longer to implement. I'm not even sure that 20 years would be enough time, but that's a good start. Is what NY doing going to help the situation? I don't know. It is certainly unusual, and could prove beneficial down the road. After all, having more information is usually a good thing. But doesn't it send the wrong message to illegal immigrants? And even if not, what immigrants would actually go and get the license? 500,000 people? Doubtful.
Regardless of what happens politically, I realize that I am called to love and care for those in need. So as a Christian, I will see what I can to do to help these people on an individual level, with the intention of expanding the kingdom of God and making the world a better place. What would Jesus do (despite its terribly cliche nature) is a truly pertinent question here. So I will do my best to love these fellow image-bearers of God.
On a more cynical note, maybe I should start learning Spanish so that I can continue to order that double-cheeseburger of the dollar menu....
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of mankind's most prestigious modern awards. It has been granted to great men and women like Martin Luther King Jr. (in 1964). Two European scientists won the prize this year in the arena of physics for their work in discovering and developing giant magnetoresistance. Essentially, this is what makes magnetic hard drives possible. They developed this in 1988, and its use has exploded since then. I'm using a computer that contains the fruit of their invention right now. It is in all of the iPods with spinning hard drives. There are millions of these devices. That is a life-changing discovery--well worth being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for.
However, of the recipients of this year's Nobel has been the subject of some controversy. Another prize was awarded to former Vice President Al Gore (and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for his work explaining and popularizing the phenomenon of global warming. Global warming? Apparently, enough people have accepted the truth (or been brainwashed, depending on what camp you're in) that global warming is a real threat to our world and is perhaps the most significant threat of the 21st century. But in the case of the European scientists, they worked on something twenty years ago that has been proven as drastically beneficial to the human race. There are still enough people who doubt the validity of global warming that this award is being questioned: Was this a political move? Could this be what it takes to get Gore into the 2008 Presidential Race?
Gore has said that unless Hillary Clinton makes a large mistake, she is unbeatable in his estimation (at least in the Democratic Party). Thus he would not enter the race at this point. Smart move. I tend to agree. A Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar (or was it an Emmy?) for his film: An Inconvenient Truth, won't be enough to cause a great number of Americans to vote for him.
But what about this idea of global warming itself? According to CNN, the film has nine errors in it. I wrote my high school senior thesis about hydrogen and its role as a fuel in the future...I believe you can capture some of that in one of my previous blogs here. But I researched the argument for global warming somewhat, and at the time of my thesis defense, I was torn. I argued that global warming might have some weight to it. Before that, I thought it was ridiculous. Now, I'm just not sure. But I am hearing more and more about it. Whether it's true or not, a lot more people are beginning to believe it.
In the CNN article that I read, some Democrats commented on the situation. One of them said: "America and the Earth need a hero right now, someone who will transcend politics as usual and bring real hope to our country and to the world." Sounds to me like that person is looking beyond just a strong political leader. It sounds to me like they are looking for Jesus. Who else it the Prince of Peace, the Hope of the World?
Whether or not it was a political move to give Gore the prize, whether or not global warming is a true threat, it seems to me that there is a deeper fear at work. People think about the future, and they see a world that is falling apart. Pardon the gross generalization, but It is interesting that Christians see this as an opportunity to laugh at the "dumb tree-huggers." Don't you sense something is wrong? Non-Christians are caring more about creation and keeping it wholesome than Christians are.
This may spawn from the evangelical misunderstanding of Heaven. For so long, Christians have been taught that Man fell and that Jesus came to save. I've mentioned this before, but that is simply a fractured view of the gospel. Christians ought to be the first proponents for the "upkeep" of the earth.
Hang with me for a minute. God has been teaching me a lot lately about abiding in Him (John 15). To truly abide in Jesus, I need to be in the Word and prayer and community. I need to be practicing the spiritual disciplines. When I do that, I will prepare my heart for the Spirit to do His work. God is fully responsible for the growth, but I am responsible for allowing God to have a place in my heart. He is a gentleman. He says, "I stand at the door and knock." If I don't invite Him in to do His work, then He will allow me to go my own way. But when He does work in me, I grow to love Him and others more. When I love others, it's not out of a sense of obligation ("oh darn, I have to love my roommates AGAIN"). It should be because I am so filled with the love of God, that it just pours out of my soul.
The reason that last paragraph connects with what's above it is because of this: when I love others like Jesus did, I will not view those "tree-huggers" as less than intelligent. I will not look down on them and condescend them because of their "obscene devotion to the earth." I will instead see them as souls in need of a true savior, in need of one worth living and dying for. I won't look down on those that bestowed the Nobel Peace Prize as foolish people with a sinister ulterior motive. I'll see them as people who have decided to make a judgment that may have been better postponed, but I give them the benefit of the doubt. That does not mean that I go along with these people. But I do not attack them. When was the last time that Jesus said to go around laying into your opponents? Last time I recall, He healed the ear of a servant who zealous Peter chopped off. What a symbolic act...healing the ear...so that the servant might hear clearly the voice of his savior.
My pastor gave a sermon today on being salt and light in the world (Matthew 5). The point that stuck out to me most was this: the Bible, the Word of God is our authority...but how we live our life and spread God's unconditional love is our credibility. So the lesson that I learned is this: even when people I don't think deserve honor or grace or even kindness cross my path, I am to be loving and sacrifice of myself anyway--as if I were serving Jesus himself--and this is what makes Christianity credible and honors and glorifies God. That is my prayer. So help me Jesus.
Taking Every Thought Captive,
Zachary
However, of the recipients of this year's Nobel has been the subject of some controversy. Another prize was awarded to former Vice President Al Gore (and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for his work explaining and popularizing the phenomenon of global warming. Global warming? Apparently, enough people have accepted the truth (or been brainwashed, depending on what camp you're in) that global warming is a real threat to our world and is perhaps the most significant threat of the 21st century. But in the case of the European scientists, they worked on something twenty years ago that has been proven as drastically beneficial to the human race. There are still enough people who doubt the validity of global warming that this award is being questioned: Was this a political move? Could this be what it takes to get Gore into the 2008 Presidential Race?
Gore has said that unless Hillary Clinton makes a large mistake, she is unbeatable in his estimation (at least in the Democratic Party). Thus he would not enter the race at this point. Smart move. I tend to agree. A Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar (or was it an Emmy?) for his film: An Inconvenient Truth, won't be enough to cause a great number of Americans to vote for him.
But what about this idea of global warming itself? According to CNN, the film has nine errors in it. I wrote my high school senior thesis about hydrogen and its role as a fuel in the future...I believe you can capture some of that in one of my previous blogs here. But I researched the argument for global warming somewhat, and at the time of my thesis defense, I was torn. I argued that global warming might have some weight to it. Before that, I thought it was ridiculous. Now, I'm just not sure. But I am hearing more and more about it. Whether it's true or not, a lot more people are beginning to believe it.
In the CNN article that I read, some Democrats commented on the situation. One of them said: "America and the Earth need a hero right now, someone who will transcend politics as usual and bring real hope to our country and to the world." Sounds to me like that person is looking beyond just a strong political leader. It sounds to me like they are looking for Jesus. Who else it the Prince of Peace, the Hope of the World?
Whether or not it was a political move to give Gore the prize, whether or not global warming is a true threat, it seems to me that there is a deeper fear at work. People think about the future, and they see a world that is falling apart. Pardon the gross generalization, but It is interesting that Christians see this as an opportunity to laugh at the "dumb tree-huggers." Don't you sense something is wrong? Non-Christians are caring more about creation and keeping it wholesome than Christians are.
This may spawn from the evangelical misunderstanding of Heaven. For so long, Christians have been taught that Man fell and that Jesus came to save. I've mentioned this before, but that is simply a fractured view of the gospel. Christians ought to be the first proponents for the "upkeep" of the earth.
Hang with me for a minute. God has been teaching me a lot lately about abiding in Him (John 15). To truly abide in Jesus, I need to be in the Word and prayer and community. I need to be practicing the spiritual disciplines. When I do that, I will prepare my heart for the Spirit to do His work. God is fully responsible for the growth, but I am responsible for allowing God to have a place in my heart. He is a gentleman. He says, "I stand at the door and knock." If I don't invite Him in to do His work, then He will allow me to go my own way. But when He does work in me, I grow to love Him and others more. When I love others, it's not out of a sense of obligation ("oh darn, I have to love my roommates AGAIN"). It should be because I am so filled with the love of God, that it just pours out of my soul.
The reason that last paragraph connects with what's above it is because of this: when I love others like Jesus did, I will not view those "tree-huggers" as less than intelligent. I will not look down on them and condescend them because of their "obscene devotion to the earth." I will instead see them as souls in need of a true savior, in need of one worth living and dying for. I won't look down on those that bestowed the Nobel Peace Prize as foolish people with a sinister ulterior motive. I'll see them as people who have decided to make a judgment that may have been better postponed, but I give them the benefit of the doubt. That does not mean that I go along with these people. But I do not attack them. When was the last time that Jesus said to go around laying into your opponents? Last time I recall, He healed the ear of a servant who zealous Peter chopped off. What a symbolic act...healing the ear...so that the servant might hear clearly the voice of his savior.
My pastor gave a sermon today on being salt and light in the world (Matthew 5). The point that stuck out to me most was this: the Bible, the Word of God is our authority...but how we live our life and spread God's unconditional love is our credibility. So the lesson that I learned is this: even when people I don't think deserve honor or grace or even kindness cross my path, I am to be loving and sacrifice of myself anyway--as if I were serving Jesus himself--and this is what makes Christianity credible and honors and glorifies God. That is my prayer. So help me Jesus.
Taking Every Thought Captive,
Zachary
Sunday, October 7, 2007
What's with all of the shootings?
Crandon, Wisconsin. Sunday, October 7th. 2:45am.
Tyler Peterson was a 20 year-old deputy who killed six people, then died himself (probably suicide). This took place at a party where a bunch of young adults were having pizza and watching a movie. The motive and the situation was not clear, but what is clear is that a number of people are now dead. Apparently, Peterson was taken out by a sniper after someone in the house called the police. In the CNN news report, one of the girls, Karly Johnson, 16, was interviewed and knew him said:
"He was nice. He was an average guy. Normal. You wouldn't think he could do that."
As I read this, I heard the all-too common echoes from other recent tragedies come to my mind. My memories start with Columbine. Roughly 16 students die in what seems to be a killing modelled after the "Matrix." The killers cooly killed classmates and friends before claiming their own lives. They left a mess. I was reminded of the sniper, who killed about 8 people at random locations. It turned out that "the sniper" was an Islamic father and son team who thought they were doing a good thing. The son was 17 years old. Virginia Tech screams out as one of the more recent tragedies. My cousin-in-law went there; and since I am from Maryland, it's hard not to hear of people who were personally hurt by the shootings. You would practically have to have been cut off from all news to have not heard about it. Speaking of close to home, I am reminded of a shooting that took place in the Annapolis Mall, which is where I worked over the summer, and I had at least a couple of good friends right there when it happened. A man ended up shooting several people before being gunned down himself. I know there are other examples, but just these have come to mind at the moment.
It is sad that so many incidents of this sort occur. In this most recent murder, a 14 year-old girl was shot. It reminds me of the recent pain and losses that have happened at The King's College. Ben's sister died in a car crash. Brekly's dad is in the hospital and not doing well. Katelyn's grandmother just died. Kurtis has cancer. The list goes on.
I have a couple of reflections, one on the specific shooting that I referenced, and one of tragedy in general.
In the shooting, the reason that the girl's quote jumped out at me is because she would have never guessed that Peterson would have gone on that rampage. It seems like I've heard that before. People are surprised. "He seemed like a normal guy." "I don't know what happened." "I never saw it coming." Why do they do it? Is it because of violence in video games and T.V.? Some would say so. Remember how one guy created a video game that let you re-enact the killings at Virginia Tech? Some say that war games are turning young men into mindless killers. There may be some truth to that. But it is a very broad, sweeping generalization...and not the status quo. As John Elderedge would say, something is deeply wrong with the masculine psyche. These are symptoms of a larger problem in our culture. I would tend to agree. What specifically those problems are, I'd have to reflect on more.
But second, why is there so much grief, in the world, and specifically now, at Kings? That is two different questions. The first can be answered: we are in a fallen world, and we still have the consequences of sin slap us in the face every day. The second question is harder to answer, because it is much closer to home. For some here at Kings, it strikes right at home. But why? Is it not enough that we are working to further the Kingdom of God to shape the world? Will God not protect us as we do this great work? I ask: did he protect Jesus? Did he protect Paul? Did he protect Stephen? Did he protect Peter? Justin Martyr? Christians have been often the ones to suffer in a society. This is not because God has given up on them, or because God is not powerful enough to save. Satan may be a big reason behind it. And as Jesus said, the world hates those whom He loves. It's just such a shock when we are the ones attacked because we live in a "safe" country. In a "safe" culture...as long as you don't stand out too much. Americans have been trained to be tolerant (like a castrated animal...but that's material for another blog). Christians, particularly here at Kings are surprised. At least I know that I am surprised. I trust God, but I question his reasons. I question in a wondering way, not in an accusitory way. I believe he is powerful, he is knowing, and he is good. But I don't understand all of the details.
Neither did Job. If I got nothing else out of Dr. Lockett's lecture last year on Job, it is that God is great and God is near, and that is enough. Sometimes, we just don't get an explanation. But I have my guesses.
The Kings community signed a covenant before God, saying that we will abide. The leaders are working to abide in Jesus (think John 15). Maybe we are being attacked harshly because we are doing things right. Satan seems to like to work subtly. But when that fails, he pulls out the big guns. It could be that it is not Satan at all, but that God is testing us. Will be truly abide, even though he is testing us?
May we, like the victims of the party in Wisconsin, overcome our surprise and ask answers. But when we ask the answers, may we come to the conclusion that whatever happens to us and those around us, we still know how to live. The Oakes said it best. Ginger Oakes said, "The Christian life is the best life." She said this after months of dealing with her husband's bout with cancer. And President Stan Oakes himself said: "I want to be a servant of Jesus Christ. That's the best life." May we agree.
Taking Every Thought Captive,
Zachary
Tyler Peterson was a 20 year-old deputy who killed six people, then died himself (probably suicide). This took place at a party where a bunch of young adults were having pizza and watching a movie. The motive and the situation was not clear, but what is clear is that a number of people are now dead. Apparently, Peterson was taken out by a sniper after someone in the house called the police. In the CNN news report, one of the girls, Karly Johnson, 16, was interviewed and knew him said:
"He was nice. He was an average guy. Normal. You wouldn't think he could do that."
As I read this, I heard the all-too common echoes from other recent tragedies come to my mind. My memories start with Columbine. Roughly 16 students die in what seems to be a killing modelled after the "Matrix." The killers cooly killed classmates and friends before claiming their own lives. They left a mess. I was reminded of the sniper, who killed about 8 people at random locations. It turned out that "the sniper" was an Islamic father and son team who thought they were doing a good thing. The son was 17 years old. Virginia Tech screams out as one of the more recent tragedies. My cousin-in-law went there; and since I am from Maryland, it's hard not to hear of people who were personally hurt by the shootings. You would practically have to have been cut off from all news to have not heard about it. Speaking of close to home, I am reminded of a shooting that took place in the Annapolis Mall, which is where I worked over the summer, and I had at least a couple of good friends right there when it happened. A man ended up shooting several people before being gunned down himself. I know there are other examples, but just these have come to mind at the moment.
It is sad that so many incidents of this sort occur. In this most recent murder, a 14 year-old girl was shot. It reminds me of the recent pain and losses that have happened at The King's College. Ben's sister died in a car crash. Brekly's dad is in the hospital and not doing well. Katelyn's grandmother just died. Kurtis has cancer. The list goes on.
I have a couple of reflections, one on the specific shooting that I referenced, and one of tragedy in general.
In the shooting, the reason that the girl's quote jumped out at me is because she would have never guessed that Peterson would have gone on that rampage. It seems like I've heard that before. People are surprised. "He seemed like a normal guy." "I don't know what happened." "I never saw it coming." Why do they do it? Is it because of violence in video games and T.V.? Some would say so. Remember how one guy created a video game that let you re-enact the killings at Virginia Tech? Some say that war games are turning young men into mindless killers. There may be some truth to that. But it is a very broad, sweeping generalization...and not the status quo. As John Elderedge would say, something is deeply wrong with the masculine psyche. These are symptoms of a larger problem in our culture. I would tend to agree. What specifically those problems are, I'd have to reflect on more.
But second, why is there so much grief, in the world, and specifically now, at Kings? That is two different questions. The first can be answered: we are in a fallen world, and we still have the consequences of sin slap us in the face every day. The second question is harder to answer, because it is much closer to home. For some here at Kings, it strikes right at home. But why? Is it not enough that we are working to further the Kingdom of God to shape the world? Will God not protect us as we do this great work? I ask: did he protect Jesus? Did he protect Paul? Did he protect Stephen? Did he protect Peter? Justin Martyr? Christians have been often the ones to suffer in a society. This is not because God has given up on them, or because God is not powerful enough to save. Satan may be a big reason behind it. And as Jesus said, the world hates those whom He loves. It's just such a shock when we are the ones attacked because we live in a "safe" country. In a "safe" culture...as long as you don't stand out too much. Americans have been trained to be tolerant (like a castrated animal...but that's material for another blog). Christians, particularly here at Kings are surprised. At least I know that I am surprised. I trust God, but I question his reasons. I question in a wondering way, not in an accusitory way. I believe he is powerful, he is knowing, and he is good. But I don't understand all of the details.
Neither did Job. If I got nothing else out of Dr. Lockett's lecture last year on Job, it is that God is great and God is near, and that is enough. Sometimes, we just don't get an explanation. But I have my guesses.
The Kings community signed a covenant before God, saying that we will abide. The leaders are working to abide in Jesus (think John 15). Maybe we are being attacked harshly because we are doing things right. Satan seems to like to work subtly. But when that fails, he pulls out the big guns. It could be that it is not Satan at all, but that God is testing us. Will be truly abide, even though he is testing us?
May we, like the victims of the party in Wisconsin, overcome our surprise and ask answers. But when we ask the answers, may we come to the conclusion that whatever happens to us and those around us, we still know how to live. The Oakes said it best. Ginger Oakes said, "The Christian life is the best life." She said this after months of dealing with her husband's bout with cancer. And President Stan Oakes himself said: "I want to be a servant of Jesus Christ. That's the best life." May we agree.
Taking Every Thought Captive,
Zachary
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