Fear not the night,
Fear those who walk the night.
And I am he that walks the night,
But only evil needs to fear me
And gentle souls sleep safe in their beds,
Because I own the night.
~ David Grossman
Moses said to God, “Look, You tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but You don’t let me know whom You’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to Me.’ If I am so special to You, let me in on Your plans. …. God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.”
~ Moses in Exodus 33, getting his world rocked in the deserts of Aqaba
Oh beloved, it is true.
If you are at all connected with this events in the last few weeks, you likely felt a major tremor along the fault-lines of The West. We see it, currently in the context of the election of the President of the United States. But the problem is far, far, FAR deeper than this.
A bit of anthropology and history show that the end of the West actually began in the late 18th century with the writings of a number of German academics who were developing a literary tool called ‘higher criticism.’ Higher criticism was marketed as a way to better understand the meaning of sacred texts like the Bible. But its method involved the process of de-mystifying texts and finding ways to reduce their perceived authority.
Said more simply: Higher criticism was introduced to make Scripture more accessible to the common man. But, the real effect was to start draw people into listening to the old hisssssssing of the old serpent. Great falls in faith always start with doubt, and hearing “did God really sssssssaaaayyyyy?”…
And where we are today can be traced back to the first attack of higher criticism. And this 220-year jaunt has landed us in the dark, and fetid, and reeking bogs of postmodernism, poststructuralism, critical race theory and its kissing-cousin intersectionality.
OH YES, all of these academic approaches appear to be tools to bring about both freedom and justice – but their fruit is something completely other: Rebellious autonomy for each person – who now can blame all of their problems of someone else – and has the right to fight to get what they think they are owed; taking it from their alleged ‘oppressor’.
Have zero doubt dear ones, we are in now in some very dark times. Forget the politics of the last few years. … We cut the rope of truth that was holding the ship of The West firmly against the quay, on a waypoint towards The Kingdom. We were not there yet (not by a longshot), but we knew the journey had a clear Destination. But, after the rope was cut, we drifted away – slowly at first. But we are now caught in a vicious rip current pulling us far over the horizon into completely uncharted – and quite terrifying -territory.
Sounds awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And no, this fool of a writer has not lost his mind.
Can we see it?
Many of the readers of Freedom Fighters have served this nation in the military. And for those of you deployed into an active theatre, you know that you know, that you KNOW: Combat may be exhilarating, but it is a horrendous thing. and, it is quite different from what you expected before you were in it.
Modern armies fight in the dark.
Every bit of training a group like the 75th Ranger Regiment (whose motto from which I crafted the title of this blog), infantry, mechanized, airborne – everything – is designed to fight most fiercely under the cover of night. You likely remember seeing your field of fire through an eery, but remarkably effective green monocle, and through the sounds of your buddies in your headset.
When you live above fear, it becomes a weapon in your hand and
you drive it into the heart of your enemy.
~ Graham Cooke
I hope you can see what I am trying to communicate. The darkness into which we are falling, is not the end of our Great Commission. Some of the potential outcomes look pretty scary.
Yes…
The US and the West may disintegrate… Our currency may hyperinflate, and we may lose all financial comfort… Our rights may be subjugated, and we may be imprisoned or sent to camps to be “re-educated…” We may face civil disorder, or even civil war… We may see even worse than the above. Dark, demonic influences in our society will work to pull down the shades on anyone or anything that brings light to a situation.
Beloved, we are surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses that have gone through the same, and more. And, as Jim Elliot reminded us: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.“
May I be so bold as to admonish and encourage you? I have written of some of my ‘adventures’ that had me awfully close to a very real death. Three of those moments were in the dark of night. And what happened in all three instances was that the Light of His Presence filled my heart with such great courage that I cannot even put it into words.
Ask a Ranger… Is it easy to fight in the dark? The answer will be a resounding NO! But, it affords a warrior a wide range of advantages against an enemy, AND it helps a warrior to keep his/her eyes on the objective they have identified in that little green tube hanging from their helmet!
Beloved, let us not fear the dark that may be coming upon us. Allow yourself to relax a bit during this sunset of The West, if it comes. And, let us be of good Courage! Courage is the opposite of a small heart. Courage is a heart full. Courage is not just “holding on.” Rather, the whole linguistic sense of “Courage,” is a bursting forth from what is already inside of us… a wind, a filling, a giving forth.
Who is Living in us – and through us? Aye, He is The Light of The World. He is The One Who has gone down through the darkest dark of death and arisen to Light and Life and Love – forevermore!
So, are you feeling frightened as the West falls into darkness? Good!!! Any good soldier – especially soldiers of the Cross – should feel the gravity of our situation. But, just like a Ranger knows with every fibre of his being that his buddies are not going to leave him behind – we followers of our L_RD Jesus Christ know that He will never abandon us, nor forsake us. In fact, our victory has already occurred.
Fight through the night dear ones. The Dawn on the other side will never end. OH!! That Great, Bright, Dazzling DAY, when our KING of kings, and L_RD of lords raises His hand in joyous salute to Our Heavenly Father, and hands the victory – OUR COMBINED VICTORY – over to Him.
Yeah, we got this. Can’t lose. We own the night!
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear’s path, and only I will remain.”
~ From Frank Herbert’s, Dune and the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
