Understanding the Times

I do not usually reprint something I wrote before.
This piece was published almost three years ago.
How I wish that things had changed since its publication.
How I wish that we as a nation had finally woken up.

We are in the middle of an election season.
Campaigns, speeches, and debates fill the airwaves, social media, and newspapers.
Often it is difficult to discern where each candidate stands on any given issue.
It seems like a flavor of the month club when it comes to sincerity and integrity.

Instead of classiness, we see crass-ness.
Instead of integrity, we see self-preservation.
Debates have become verbal brawls.
The issues have taken a back seat to personal attacks and mud slinging.

We are letting emotions and anger dictate our choices.
That is never wise.
What happened to the old method of counting to 10?
Perhaps if we step back and take a deep breath and really listen, we would see things clearer.

We are accepting character traits in the candidates that we would never accept in our children.
We are putting up with verbal abuse, which we would never do if we were being abused.
We are accepting foul language as part of the process.
We are turning our heads as women are disrespected and arrogance is seen as entertainment.

We have lost our way.
We have lost our moorings.
We will not speak up for fear of…WHO exactly?
We are at a crossroad; we fail to see the writing on the wall.

How I wish it were not necessary to republish something written three years ago.
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)
Oh, to be like the men of Issachar.
Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.
(1 Chronicles 12:32)

We must understand the times.
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Conflation was first published on March 23, 2013.
It is reprinted here with a few minor revisions.

Vanity was a problem for the emperor.
All he wanted to do was display his fine clothes.
He hired two tailors who promised to make him the finest garments.
Clothes made out of a fabric that was invisible.
Invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or hopelessly stupid.

The two tailors were dishonest.
They pretended to make the new clothes; they pretended to dress the emperor in them.
The emperor couldn’t wait to parade in front of the people wearing his new clothes.
This caused a dilemma for the people.

The clothes were not there but how could the people tell the emperor?
If they told him, they would be considered unfit for their position and hopelessly stupid.
The people pretended to like the emperor’s new clothes.
Shouts and applause prevailed.
Until one little child pointed his finger and exclaimed, He is not wearing anything at all!

Winston Smith was a member of the Outer Party and worked for the Ministry of Truth.
The Inner Party was in control of Oceania.
Any individualism or independent thinking was deemed a thought crime.
The Ministry of Truth worked diligently to revise Oceania’s history.
This revision was necessary so that recorded history supported the Party’s agenda.

Oceania even had its own language called Newspeak.
Newspeak limited freedom and self-expression.
It removed any words or concepts that would pose a threat to the Party.
The language of Newspeak was constantly changing.

Eventually, all remnants of Oldspeak would soon disappear.
Big Brother, the leader of the Party, monitored the public and private lives of the people.
Their lives and their thoughts were watched from the ever present telescreen.

Conflation is the combining of two or more ideas into one.
The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson and 1984, by George Orwell are two stories that can be conflated in light of our current culture.

The tailors are doing a good job of convincing us that we would be unfit for our positions or hopelessly stupid should we say anything negative about the fine suit of clothes they are in the process of making.

We sit quietly while generations are being killed on the altar of expediency and greed.
We turn our heads as family is being redefined and marriage is being trampled underfoot.
We allow our children to be raised by anyone else but us, while we are off pursuing.
We have rejected God and turned to the government as our Savior.

Shouts and applause prevail.
Acceptance and complacent resignation have become our default.
We see that the emperor is not wearing any clothes.
We don’t have the courage to say so!

Oh, for the bravery of the innocent child who dares to point his finger.
He is not wearing anything at all!

We are not much different than Oceania.
We are revising our history and removing any vestiges of God’s providence.
We have taken our surgical scalpel and cut out words and terms, people and events.
We think we must downplay national pride because we are competing in a global economy.

We communicate with our own version of Newspeak.
Our language is tolerant and all-inclusive.
Our language is government-heavy and God-light!

We sit on the sidelines while anonymous people, with large pocketbooks, re-write curriculum standards for our children’s education.
They consider themselves to be part of a Ministry of Truth, protecting the greater good.

Orwellian. Utilitarian. Shackled.

The clothes are invisible and we MUST have the courage to say so!

When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. (Luke 12:11,12)

God’s Providential Hand is still over us.
We have pushed away His Hand and shoved Him to the back of the bus.
That dusty Bible is not applicable today.
Believe in the Sovereignty of God?
We are far more enlightened than that.

Are we?
Our babies are having babies.
Our children are shooting each other in school.
Our families are crumbling around us.
Marriage is passe.
Purity is old-fashioned.
My needs. My wants. My greater good.

Where do we go from here?
Do we have the courage to stand and say ENOUGH?
Can we find our collective voice?
Who are we going to tell?

The emperor is not wearing any clothes.