I sit hear listening to the song “blowing in the wind” by Bob Dylan which was a song written to protest the Viet Nam War. It has some of the most profound lyrics I have ever heard. I think about what violent acts and atrocities were committed during any war in the name of peace, liberation, religion, defence, love, hate, righteousness. I think about how can a man live with himself and go back to normal life, after taking someone’s life, after seeing life drain away from someone right in front of him. How can a man live with himself, after torturing and killing someone, how can a man live with himself doing things to women and children during war time that would never be accepted during peace time.
I think about what great shame and misery they must have when they are sitting at home, all alone reflecting on his actions, or even worse being married, and when looking at his wife, seeing women he had taken advantage of, or when looking at his kids, seeing children that have been killed, whether or not on purpose by his own hand. I thank god I was never accepted in the army. But what I fear even more for these men, and sometimes women, in their day of judgement, when they stand in front of the lord of all creation, the one who created the land he ravaged, the women he scarred, the men he killed, and the children he orphaned. What would you say, what could you say? God it was in the name of ‘Democracy’ lord, lord, it was okay, all the other men were doing it. Lord, I was told to kill that child, it wasn’t my fault. I tell you, that God doesn’t compare us and say, why didn’t you do as good as this man or that man. God sees your heart and what you have done with what you have. He who has much, much is expected. Man’s only hope is in the Cross of Jesus Christ.
You may say, yes this man needs god! This man needs God so much more than I, I who live a good life in the cities, I go to church on Sunday, pay my taxes, and put my children in good schools…. What type of hypocrisy do we live in? I know of people who have earned millions in their life times, and they plan to retire on a boat and go sailing around the world and collect seashells. What does this person say when he meets the Lord who brings everything into account. Lord, lord, look, I know I didn’t go tell people about the gospel, I know I didn’t let my children go to the missionary field because it was too dangerous; it was too scary to tell people about you. But look Lord, Look. My sea shells, my beautiful seashells. Look at my children; they have good educations, good cars, good jobs. So no one heard your word in my life, but I supported, I tithed, I allowed others to go forward. I tell you again those who have been given much, much will be expected, and all our works will be put to test to see if they last. There are those who will only JUST pass through the fire.
My comments to you, are: Study hard, get good jobs, enjoy life, enjoy what your heart desires in your youth, but remember that god will bring into judgement all this done, in public and in secret. Enjoy the fruit of your labour, enjoy what God has given you, but don’t forget that our lives are not to bring glory to ourselves but to bring glory to God our creator.
The problem in our society and in our lives’, is that Jesus is just a part of our lives, when Jesus really should be the point of our lives.
