Roman Lictor with Fasces, Author Xadaga (PD)
“…[P]ut off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt …and… put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4: 22, 24).
“Fasces” is the term for a bundle of wooden rods bound together with an axe. The image is displayed in the US House of Representatives, and appears on the dime. Meant to signify strength through unity, the fasces stood for a magistrate’s power over life and death, in ancient Rome.
Though most of us have forgotten now, it was, also, adopted in the 1920s as the symbol of Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party.
Fascism
Fascism as a form of government is characterized by extreme nationalism, authoritarianism, and right wing values. Its professed goal is to re-establish law and order in society. Freedom and individual rights are viewed as secondary to that goal.
Fascism opposes democratic thought, favoring totalitarianism and a one-party system. This ideology is coupled with a belief in so called “racial purity” and the New Man (Friedrich Nietzche’s “Superman”), a superior human being devoid of individuality, and characterized instead by hyper-masculinity and violence.
A Cult of Personality
A cult of personality developed around Mussolini, as fascism took hold in Italy. A similar cult grew up around Francisco Franco in Spain. Propaganda, captive media, and constant praise were used to create idealized images of both men.
Both exploited this – employing secret police, politically motivated executions, forced labor, and concentration camps to enforce their will. Rather than restored, the rule of law was abolished, and naked power substituted.
A New Man in Christ
With this history, it is not surprising that some have found the political violence and other aspects of the current campaign chilling.
Christianity, too, speaks of a new man. But the concept is wholly different from that proposed by Nietzche. The old Adam, Christians know, was replaced sacrificially by the new Adam who is Jesus Christ. The old man in each of us – our Adamic nature, prone to sin – is replaced by a new man, born again through Christ.
No political party or ideology, right wing or left, no attempt at social engineering, no matter how severely enforced, will turn men into Supermen. Our defect is a spiritual one.
But those who do not heed the past are doomed to repeat it.
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Bell at Kovac Hill Church, Slovenia, Author Eleassar (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
The sound of church bells is being lost to the world.
The use of church bells became common during the Middle Ages. They once announced the times for daily prayer, Sunday services, marriages, and funerals.
Depending on their shape, size, weight, and composition, church bells like those at St. Mary-le-Bow in London each had a distinctive voice [1]. Before the Industrial Age, church bells could be heard from one end of a town to the other.
In times of war, church bells were often melted down for use as ammunition. During World War II, the Nazis confiscated countless bells for this purpose, some centuries old [2].
As church towers went out of fashion (and bell ringers became scarce), recordings were increasingly used as a substitute for actual bells.
On the first anniversary of 9/11, a Bell of Hope was presented by London to the people of New York. The bell was created by Whitechapel Foundry which, also, cast Big Ben and the Liberty Bell. The Bell of Hope resides at St. Paul’s Chapel, a stone’s throw from Ground Zero [3]. It has been rung in remembrance of terror victims worldwide, ever since.
“The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out…” (Ex. 28: 35).
Lord God, the world is so filled with noise. It can be difficult to hear Your voice above the din. We ought, at very least, to respond to the call of bells. But even that is growing faint.
Touch our hearts and minds, Lord. Make Your word alive to us, that we may echo and respond to it. Make Your law resonate in us, till we peal like bells.
Amen
—
[1] True “cockneys” (formerly a pejorative term, now adopted as a badge of pride) are said to have been born within sound of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow.
[2] Through the efforts of a small group of specially trained men and women in the Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives Division (the so called “Monuments Men”) Allied forces managed to rescue over 5 million pieces of art the Nazis had stolen, including many bells.
[3] Amazingly, St. Paul’s Chapel, a Revolutionary Era church in lower Manhattan, survived 9/11 without damage. The chapel fed, sheltered, and ministered to recovery workers during the long months of clean-up.
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Artist’s concept of a gravity probe circling Earth to measure the space-time continuum in vicinity (“four dimensional” description of height, width, length, and time), Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/gpb_012.html, Author NASA (PD)
Scientists and mathematicians have long wrestled with the question of time. The formula some may remember from high school algebra for deriving time from speed and distance dates back to the ancient Greeks, if not before [1]:
Time = Distance/Speed
The field of quantum physics continues to explore the almost unimaginable complexities of time today:
- Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity explains gravity as a feature both of space and time (the “space-time continuum” often mentioned on Star Trek).
- Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity holds that time slows as an observer approaches the speed of light [2].
The related formulas stagger most of us. We, however, wrestle with time in our own way.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4: 7).
Lord God, so often in our lives we must race against time. You, of course, have all the time in the world. You made time, and will someday – when time has outlived its usefulness – roll it up, like a ball of yarn.
Time though is important to us here on earth, Lord. In fact, we are trapped by it. We rush to keep daily schedules and make multiple deadlines. So many priorities – all requiring our attention. Sometimes it can feel as if we are being torn in two. Read more…
Trading floor at Chicago Board of Trade (PD)
Jewelers, the shopping channels on cable television, and the Commodity Exchanges worldwide all identify gold and silver as “precious” metals. The Apostle Peter, however, had a different understanding.
“Knowing that you were ransomed…not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ…” (1 Pet. 1: 18).
Lord Jesus, the world can weigh heavily on us. Others may fail to see the value of our work or fail to see us at all. Our dreams may shatter, and our hearts break. Satan stands ready at moment’s notice to whisper in our ear that we are worthless, our efforts useless. But those are lies.
You made us in Your image, Lord. Our worth is measured not by our accomplishments, but rather by Your great love for us…Your willingness to die in our place, the ransom for many Isaiah had prophesied.
You do not measure success in terms of the luxuries and honors the world values. Dollars and cents are as nothing, in Your grand scheme. They will vanish in the blink of an eye. The real things, the important things, will remain.
Whenever we act out of love, we reflect You. The smallest word, a look or smile, can brighten someone’s day; it may save a life. Your gifts to us – faith despite our circumstances, and a desire to help others despite the cost – these are eternal. In exercising them, we honor You.
Help us remember these truths. Surround us with Your love, Lord. And help us to share it with the world.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Hands holding a small plant, Source/Author Commonwealth of Learning (CC-BY-SA)
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29: 11).
Dear Lord, we lift up our children to You. We love them and their children. We see the good in them all, and plead with You not to let this harsh world rob them of it.
You made them, Lord. You know their strengths and weaknesses, better even than we do. You know their needs. Keep them under Your wing, whatever their ages. Protect and guide them in ways we cannot, Lord.
Give them courage, in the face of adversity and change. Give them strength, in the face of impossible odds. Give them the rest necessary to restore minds and bodies. And, please, Lord, give them hope. Not a foolish, groundless hope. But a hope they can rely on, because it comes with a promise from You that they will see it fulfilled.
As difficult as it is for us, we give our beloved children and grandchildren over to Your care. We leave them in Your loving hands, knowing that is the very best place they can be.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Crowded New York City subway train, Author Daniel Schwen (GNU Free Documentation License)
“But Joseph said to them…’You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives‘ ” (Gen. 50: 19-20).
Dear Lord, most mornings many of us face a lengthy commute. Much of our day is occupied by coming and going, by waiting on the bus, waiting on the light, and standing still – anxious to rush forward, anxious to do more.
One moment after another, our lives tick by. That can seem such a futile effort. We know though that our footsteps are directed by You, that nothing is wasted and nothing lost for those who believe.
We are reminded of Joseph, his exile and his long years in prison. Despite and because of those, his character was formed. Joseph did not know that You would use him to save his family and his people. He did not know that he would be venerated as a patriarch, and his body carried into the Promised Land after 400 years in an Egyptian grave.
Lift our eyes to You, Lord. Lift our hearts that the rush and tumble of our days may not wear us down. We want so much for our lives to have purpose…as if they did not already. You can see that while we cannot.
In the midst of our harried commute, make Your face to shine upon us, and grant us peace.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Palm Sunday celebrated by Iquitos, Peru (“Domingo de Ramos celebrado por Iquitos”), Photo by Percy Meza (CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)
“ ‘…[I]f these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out’ ” (Luke 18: 40).
The Lord spoke these words as He wrote triumphantly into Jerusalem while the crowds shouted, “Hosanna,” waved palm branches, and threw down their cloaks before Him. The Pharisees were offended at this public recognition of Jesus’ kingship and the crowd’s worshipful praise.
The reference implicit in the statement is to Psalm 150 “Let All Things Praise the Lord”:
“Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament…
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp…
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150: 1, 3, and 6).
Lord Jesus, as the disciples did on the day You rode into Jerusalem, we lift Your Name on high. For all the mighty works You have done, we praise You. For Your mercy, we cry out in gratitude. For Your Resurrection, we shout aloud with joy.
Fill our hearts to overflowing, Lord, that our tongues be not silent when You call on us to speak. May we bear witness for You to this generation.
Hosanna in the highest!
Amen
Have a blessed Easter!
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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“Mocking of Christ” by Annibale Carracci (c. 1596), Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, Source Gallery of Art http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/carracci/annibale/2/mocking.html (PD-Art, PD-Old-100)
Since the United States does not have a monarchy, we do not generally come into contact with the symbols of royalty.
Many cultures make use of the falcon and peacock to designate royalty. In ancient Egypt, a stylized cobra represented sovereignty and divinity. In Great Britain, the lion and unicorn are used for royalty.
In France, the fleur de lis (a stylized lily or iris) was used while there was still a monarchy in place. In China, the emperor was represented by the Buddhist symbols of an umbrella, vase, victory banner, and conch shell. In Japan, he is symbolized by a chrysanthemum.
The color purple was long confined to royalty. Ermine has, also, been worn by royalty. Then there are the throne and royal scepter (essentially a rod with ornamentation). The pharaohs carried a crook and flail.
Finally, there is the universally recognized symbol: the crown. Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, wore a crown of thorns.
“When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they spat at Him…” (Matt. 27: 29-30).
Lord Jesus, You allowed Yourself to be reviled and spat upon for our sakes. The Prince of Peace, You were wounded for our transgressions, and hung upon a cross.
Forgive us, Lord, that we did this to You. That we do it still – all the while chasing worthless earthly crowns for ourselves.
We pledge our hearts and lives to You. All glory and honor are Yours, forever and ever.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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“The Good Thief on the Cross” by Jacopo Bassano (c. 1571), Louvre Museum, Source Web Gallery of Art http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/b/bassano/jacopo/2/z_thief.html (PS-Art, PD-Old-100)
We all know the story of the good thief, crucified with Jesus. Though nailed to a cross himself, the good thief did three remarkable things: he defended Christ against taunts by the other thief hanging there; he admitted his own guilt; and he recognized Christ’s deity.
One man reacted to suffering by cursing God, the other with prayer. One man had his eyes closed, the other his heart opened.
The good thief’s name is lost to us, but not his fate.
“Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’ ” (Luke 23: 42-43).
Lord Jesus, once again we seek Your forgiveness for ourselves and our nation.
You have so richly blessed us, Lord, and still we choose evil over good. We can offer no defense, but like the good thief on the cross throw ourselves on Your mercy.
Without You we stand condemned. Through You, we have life everlasting.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Flint drinking water pipes, showing different kinds of iron corrosion and rust, Source Flint Water Study http://flintwaterstudy.org/tag/drinking-water/, Authors Min Tang and Kelsey Pieper
“Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom” (James 4: 9).
The children of Flint, MI have been systematically poisoned through government ineptitude and callous disregard.
Meanwhile, the children of Hollywood celebrities are being bathed in Diamond Water, a high priced brand of bottled water said by its promoters to have been “infused with diamonds” and “blessed” by priestess (and reality star) Asa Soltan Rahmati, founder of the company [1][2][3].
Lead leached into the drinking water of Flint from corroded pipes almost as soon as the Flint River was used to replace the previous water source, as a cost savings measure [4]. Read more…
