“But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading for the Old Covenant, because the veil is taken away in Christ. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3: 14 & 16)
Recently, I made a mistake and gave a political opinion. I have come to accept that expressing an opinion and standing for the truth are cultural anomalies, especially within an echo chamber like FB. I realize there are those among us who hold worldviews that do not allow counterfactual thought. My error was to point out that following the law (18 USC1325) should not put anyone, ICE, DHS, Police, or Sheriff in danger. In this case, the ICE agents in Minnesota were following the law and arresting criminals. In the process of arresting criminals, another criminal attempted to kill an agent with a deadly weapon, a car. Was it an appropriate use of force? Based on available information, I think it was. I had family members in law enforcement, and I spent 14 years working alongside them. They are allowed and trained to defend themselves. Once the counterfactuals were introduced, however, the discussion devolved from a single incident to lies and misinformation about January 6, 2020, what Jesus would do, and how much better their god is. How any of this relates to the original question, I know not, but those who cannot support their position with empirical evidence move to other worldviews and ad hominem exercises.
The above exchange, in and of itself, means nothing. Right and wrong in the political realm are too fluid to track. With AI, pictures suddenly change to fit the narrative. Evidence is ignored. Emotions and feelings unseat rational thinking. Each side believes they have the end-all and be-all information. Truth may lie on one side or the other or between. Neither side is willing to admit probable errors. Either way, the truth is the truth, and we all need to seek it out.
The part that stunned me more than anything is that my status as a follower of Christ came under attack, even though it was not part of the original discussion. Suddenly, my Jesus was less of a person than their Jesus, and they stated, “I like my god better than the Christian’s” [sic] or “I am glad my Jesus is not your Jesus.” The stunning lack of awareness of who the God of the Bible is and what His Word says does not surprise me. I no longer assume that people have a basic understanding of the Bible just because they quote or cite it. There is, however, only one God, most high, as identified throughout the Old and New Covenants. And Jesus Christ is His Son, who came to earth to save us all. There is one God and one Jesus, not yours, mine, and ours.
The assumptive argument of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do—wow, that was a blast from the past) was also used in an attempt at legitimacy. We are commanded to try to live Christ-like lives. Jesus would protect His followers with His own life. Jesus did not support criminal activity and told His followers to obey the civil authority. The only time He overtly broke with the civil authority was when that authority attempted to override His Father’s Word. The Jesus I follow loved His followers, died for them, outlined acceptable behavior, established borders for countries, told those countries to protect their borders, and held His followers accountable for their actions. Exactly how would your Jesus have acted?
Again, in the end, the position of Jesus Christ in your life as Lord and Savior is the only thing that matters. None of the worldwide political and demonic upheavals matters. I grieve for the lady who lost her life because she was not living according to the Bible. Does that mean she was without Christ? I don’t know, but I do pray that at some time in her life she had committed to Christ. Otherwise, her journey from here on is not good. I pray her partner takes this tragedy and takes the time to seek Christ. I pray for the ICE agent who is, after coming down from the adrenalin dumb, dealing with the emotional scars of that day. I pray for all who seek stability in a world that God told us will be shaking from here on (Hebrews 12). The stability you seek is in Christ alone, not in man, government, false gods, or your own abilities and misguided focus. Time is short, seek Him who can provide the “Peace that surpasses all understanding…” (Philippians 4:7).