My daily reading seems to come across like a script for a Jean Claude Van Damme movie; I read it aloud to let those words sink and it almost seemed as if I should be reading it in that big booming voice as found in the trailers for action thriller films.
This is the sort of passage that I want to point to at moments when it is suggested that faith is a lovely fluffy blanket or opiate to keep ‘reality’ away. This is reality, it’s far more disturbing than what we see on a day to day basis. When faith and commitment are treated as an optional extra it’s a dangerous error to be making.
And… I have stood in that place. I don’t need God. I can stand on my own two feet. I’ve got my friends and family around me. It’s in those moments we need faith more than ever.
False prophets: It seems we don’t have prophets in the biblical sense anymore, people going around in sackcloth all beardy and munching on locusts. No, the media has taken that role – I think television has taken the role of the prophets. The LAB comments that these false prophecies might be… “God wants you to be rich… Do whatever your desires tell you!”
Eddie Izzard in a sketch comments on the advertising industry, particularly how many items are marketed with the implicit line of “buy this and everyone will shag you” Once again it’s these false promises and false realities that perpetuate society (and people suggest I’ve got my head in the clouds as a follower of Christ!)
The consequence of buying into these false prophecies and promises is severe “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” (Matthew 24.12) Love will grow cold. Now whatever your beliefs, we can agree (hopefully) that love and compassion are a vital part of society. If we lose love, what are we left with? If we let it grow cold the world would become barren.
The remedy for this loss of love? Now it is warned that love grows cold when our attention is on ourselves rather than others, so let’s reverse this!
One way is by writing to those persecuted for their faith, or to those in positions of power who might raise their voice for good.
Get involved by looking at Release International or write to your local councillor and MP regarding something close to my heart, cutting of funding for charities helping those who suffer domestic violence – see about the cuts here
What do you think are today’s false prophecies? How can we guard against them? How can we prevent the cold from rising?
prodigalmomma 