The Anguish of Truth

Isaiah 53:11a ESV

                “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied.”

Psalm 34:9 ESV

                “Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”

Enes Kanter Freedom is a former basketball star and has put on a clinic, but not on basketball. At the age of thirty he has had his family harassed to the point that the only way they would be able to survive was to disown their son. For good measure the government raided their house and confiscated all the electronics to make sure they had not had contact with him. He pressed and pushed to raise the awareness of the atrocities committed by his native land. After all this he was pressed by fellow Muslims to no longer remain silent on China’s abuses on the Uyghur Muslim population. I said he has put on a clinic and that clinic was one of courage. It is an unfortunate reality that many of the superstar athletes that call themselves Christian are often too willing to raise the name of Jesus until it matters in their behavior. Sleeping with, impregnating, having an illegitimate child, and that is only the publicized life of Chiefs Quarterback! How many are willing to sacrifice money and career for him?

Total Depravity is the reality that we are not as bad as we could be, but we are completely tainted by sin. This helps me to admire a Muslim man while wishing those that claim the name of Christ and identify as my brother and sister in Christ would be so indifferent to the fear of man. Instead, pastors, like myself, choose to pussy foot around issues of sin. Refusing to call out high profile individuals and governments for fear of them leaving for the guy down the street. I don’t blame the NBA for their cowardice in addressing their business partner (The Chinese Communist Party) about his slavery, organ harvesting, and torture, why should they the Pastors in the United States only have to worry about flock stealing and they don’t call out the sexual immorality of the grandchildren of the faithful matriarchs. Loving peaceful assemblies more than they fear their God. How can a people hope to have courage of any measure when the Christians won’t lead in it?

It was no pastor that said “Give me Liberty or Give me death” it was merely a lawyer, possessed with a fervor for his own, yet it was born from a culture full of churchmen. Christians consumed with their right to honor God with their lives. Refusing to be conformed to this world they would leave the old for the new, that they would not be able to look around and see no difference between themselves and the worldlings around them. The United States will never be, and has never been, so Christian that you will not see a distinct difference between your brothers and sisters and hypocrites but the courage to stand before pile of wood that would be his incinerator and cry out to a governor “Eighty-six years have I served him and he has done me no wrong, how now can I blaspheme my king?”

Such are the men that must lead a great nation to regain its courage. The courage and will to choose to suffer for Christ and speak the truth. That they might retain their liberty and freedom to speak the truth generally, and the truth of Christ specifically. We will be required to lose friends, homes, jobs, required to do so by our choice to speak truth. To call sexual perversion what it is perversion and those who practice it perverts. To speak truth into the darkness and depravity of our culture. Marijuana is bad for ALL, Boys and girls are recognized at birth, you don’t owe anyone for what fathers or grandfathers have done nor are you owed for what your ancestors may have endured. The list of “offensive” content is long and extensive. Will we let Christ offend or try to airbrush his sharp edges?

Coram Deo