When the dominant cultural ethos is one that disdains the truth by saying there is no such thing, i.e., there is not a recognition that what is ‘real’ is the objective reality we observe and the world within which we live which follows patterns, bursts into life with millions and billions of dynamic connections happening simultaneously, yet somehow working together to establish beauty and order!
 
That’s the physical reality we experience with our senses; and we have a corresponding experience ‘internally’ (spiritually) as we use ‘experiential knowledge’ to gain deeper insights which are spiritual in nature, transcending the ‘natural order’.
 
That’s a phrase you don’t hear much any more, i.e., ‘natural order’ or ‘natural law’ because, again, the woke culture of today, which is founded on subjective feelings of individuals to determine what is real, creating a chaotic sea of ‘egos’ rather than anything resembling a harmonious society, where the ‘parts’ recognize an obligation to one another, an intrinsic ‘need’ to belong in a way that ‘builds up’ others and the community at large, not a society with a myriad of relationships with competing egos vying for attention, respect, fame, or whatever.
 
Not a bit of wonder there is growing hatred towards Christians. Christians must enter the battle by declaring faith in the words of Jesus when he (many times) made an unequivocal claim to be the only and eternal Word and Son of God who became man to open the gates of heaven for a fallen people who darkened their minds and hearts with sin, turning away from the light, losing the memory of who we are and where we are destined to be – in heaven with God and the saints and angels for eternity.
 
Whoa, whoa, whoa…….wait just a minute, you’ve just offended a lot of people saying there is no WAY to heaven other than becoming a true Christian, a FOLLOWER of Jesus….you are going to have to leave the building!”
 
That’s where we are at now. What you might call ‘soft persecution’ – that goes along with ‘soft communism’ – that hardens the masses against those speaking the truth (the crowd cheer as the man is escorted from the building….next time, some shout for harsher treatment….and so it goes).
 
We who claim to be true witnesses to the Truth, to Jesus who is the Truth, better not deceive ourselves into remaining silent about His claim to be God, to be our saviour – no other religion has such a leader making such claims!
 
If we think silence is not a ‘denial’ of Jesus because we are being charitable by not offending people, then we are deceiving ourselves with our fear and lack of courage, fueling a line of thinking that is not from God but the evil one.
 
When we have a natural ‘human’ inclination not to do something that would take a lot of faith and courage and trust in God to do, you can be sure that there are demons in the background fueling that feeling and intensifying both the commitment to that particular line of thinking and increasing the negative feelings and their paralyzing impacts.
 
If you feel an inclination to ‘witness’ to the truth and those feelings start bubbling up, just picture Jesus on the cross and think of what he gave to rescue you and me from sin and death. Don’t think of yourself – that will only weaken you. Think of the sorrowful and agonizing passion of our Lord who accepted that fate to prove his love and his point – he had no other objective in this world, as he told Pilate, but was only preparing rooms in his Father’s House for us!
 
The attached words are part of today’s Gospel:
Gospel of John 14:1-6
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
 
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
 
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”