Outrage and Silence – October 13, 2012 (Psalm 4:4)
‘In your anger do not sin; when you are on your bed, search your heart and be silent.’ (PS 4:4)
Last Thursday was ‘coming out day’, a near holy day for the New York Times which featured a ludicrous article on how parents should do their gay kids a favor by encouraging them to come out early.
I fumed: the very ones who could guide their kids into considering a host of options are once again urged to confirm 15-year-old Jim or Sue as queer, a non-creative and destructive act if there ever was one.
I raged at the unbending bias of the New York Times, the stupidity of CA Gov. Brown for signing off on a bill to outlaw therapeutic change for teens, and a president who capped off his first life-defying term by redefining marriage.
The weakness of fasting works both ways. It can incline you to God’s purposes as quickly as it incites reactions that war against His purposes. A still small voice reminded me: ‘Obama, Brown, and the Times are not the enemy: the enemy is the enemy.’
I considered the insidious power of evil: how an alien force builds a stronghold of thoughts, line upon line, false precept upon precept, until a popular mindset is established that turns good into evil and evil into good. And I thought of all the teens out there whom the enemy has taken captive to do his will in embracing the ‘gay self’ as good, with parents and civic authorities in full cooperation.
Only Good overcomes evil. I asked God to forgive me for demonizing mere humans and asked for the grace to pray.
‘Through Your saints, manifest the Truth and Grace that sets vulnerable hearts free. Spare teens from degradation; raise up courageous, merciful healers to help liberate their progression into whole men and women.’
Join us for the next 5 days as we meditate on PS 4:4 and consider how to turn our outrage into silent, effective prayer.
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October 13, 2012
‘In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.’ (Ps. 4:4)
David commands his soul and ours. He exemplifies the tension between trust and outrage, resting in God’s refuge and raging over sin. He swings between faith and fear; afraid for his life, he knows the temptation to lash out against his adversaries. David commands us to silent surrender.
This morning I picked up the front page to read an idiotic little piece on ‘Gay Couples face Pressure to Fill Cradles’, bemoaning how friends of newlywed ‘gays’ are pestering them to have kids. The rather self-absorbed 26-years-old interviewed had no intention to acquire children but were heartened by such pressure: ‘It’s another way that we feel validated in the eyes of others.’ Arrrgh!
The drone of idolatry increases its volume daily—in the media, on multiple screens, even among friends and family. The virtual world has created a war zone of opinions so fiery that we cannot help but get burned by the most banal visit online. An election year throws gas on the flames.
Turn off the Internet, submit your opinions to God before blurting them out to the world, pray.
‘Be still and know that I am God.’ (Ps. 46:10)
‘We are outraged, yes, a queasy blend of flesh and Spirit. Have mercy on us, O God. The world ignites us; You alone, Creator and Redeemer of all, have power to quiet our hearts. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we confess our sins of cowardice and compromise. We have violated Your holy commands in regards to what we have done to our bodies and other bodies. And in our compromise we have become cowards, unwilling to stand for what we know to be true for the dignity of all. We ask that You might have mercy on Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington; uphold marriage in these states, and in our nation, as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on ‘gay marriage.’
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