The Mises Institute ran an interesting article this week (which is rather long) on different theories about why intellectuals support and campaign for socialism, Marxism, and related concepts and policies. It prompted me to think about the ideological aspect of spiritual warfare, which came to my attention a few years back when I read Michael Green’s I believe in Satan’s Downfall.  In one of the chapters, the author discusses all the -isms that place themselves between God and man, acting as gods and distorters of truth. Christians may argue over which -isms should be included in the list. However, it seems reasonable to accept the basic premise that a number of ideologies are the means by which the god of this age blinds people to the truth of the Gospel.

In reflecting on this matter, I have been struck by a few points. Firstly, our arguments, in and of themselves, while useful, are not sufficient to remove the scales from people’s eyes. Repentance and revelation involve the grace and power of God. Each person’s Damascus Road moment may not be as spectacular as St Paul’s; nevertheless, the work of God is in each.

Secondly, where collective prayer is involved, we must have unity. If we pray from different directions, our prayers will not be optimal. To change the metaphor, it would be good if we all sang from the same hymn sheet. Herein lies a real, but not insurmountable problem: genuine Christians are on both sides of political and other spectrums. It can be difficult to broach certain matters because of the fervency with which private beliefs are held. However, if we are to pray in unity and in truth, then we must seek answers from God as to the root power behind these “doctrines of demons” and, knowing the truth, must confess it to each other in honesty and frankness.

I have a few thoughts on the means by which the principalities and powers use ideology against the Gospel in the West. If the reader will indulge me, I should like to preface my exploration of the topic with a slight tangent that may prove helpful. Some years back, at university (where I attended a charismatic, evangelical Anglican church), I heard a sermon in which the author said, “Money is not neutral.”

This striking aphorism has stayed with me ever since. In reflecting on it, I came to the realisation that there are things in life that, though of themselves inanimate, behave in such a way as to have the semblance of a life of their own. This may be because they are so expertly used by the powers of darkness, and because they occupy crucial places in human life and society. Perhaps this explains why ancient pagans devoted particular gods to these “domains” or believed that those gods were present in items and activities carried on in those domains.

Three things that seem to me to have particular “pagan attributes” of this kind in the West today are: money, alcohol, and sex. Each of these things has such a place in our culture as to cause noticeable problems when one tries to act as if these things should serve the purposes of God and not have us as their slaves.

To take but one example, it is surprisingly difficult to steer a line of moderation in social contexts regarding alcohol, avoiding both serious drunkenness on the one hand, and total abstention on the other. In social contexts such as “a night out”, the nature of peer pressure (or whatever other force is at work) means that one must be quite deliberate and careful in maintaining a sensible limit on one’s drinking. Harder still is to suggest to someone else that he or she has had enough (not that I recommend being a busybody).

To return to the issue of -isms that prompted this post, I believe that ideologies function in a similar way to the operation of the “not neutral” inanimate things. Although concepts, they seem to have a life of their own in the way that money, sex, and alcohol call to people as if they were sentient. These ideologies seem to be targeted at the link between God and humanity. Stat-ism puts our governments in the place of God. The pro-choice movement attacks God’s decree that all human beings are made in His image. Religious plurality and multiculturalism and anti-Semitism attack the claim that the God of Israel is the one, true God, who has appeared in history as Jesus Christ. Hyper-empiricism attacks the link between heaven and earth, gnawing at the meaning God attaches to our existence. Nihilism, existentialism, and relativism make each man his own god, decreeing what is and what is not. The culmination of this evil is the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition sitting in God’s Temple, holding himself out as if he were God. As Derek Prince pointed out long ago, the root evil of the end times deception is the ancient Greek claim, “Man is the measure of all things” (Rules of Engagement, Chapter 21, “Humanism: Forerunner for Antichrist”) – at least as far as the West goes. (Incidentally, that book has a chapter, “Preparing to Reign with Christ”, that may be of interest to readers who are engaging with the Millennial question.)

So, in drawing this lengthy post to a close, and seeking to make some practical recommendation in the face of the ideological war that is plaguing the West, I return to the conclusions drawn earlier. We must pray for truth regarding the root of these supernatural strategies; we must pray against those strategies; and we must pray that the Church will be of one mind so that we may pray in unity and have freedom of speech to discuss these things amongst ourselves.

It seems appropriate to review the purposes of this blog as a community, including both contributors and readers. This is still the beginning of what will prove to be an important year, and it is my personal desire that this place will continue to grow and see a renewed fire in the hearts of those touched by it, a fire that will give them the energy to interact with the Kingdom in the spirit of children of God.

This blog was begun by Jess, who retired from running and contributing to it. I am sure all of us who had any contact with her are grateful to her for founding this place and consistently exercising a spirit of charity and truthfulness. Her departure was a sad moment – but we all wished her well in her new focus and endeavours.

Chalcedon took over management of the blog from Jess, and he still maintains control. Owing to the busy nature of his work, he is unable to write here as frequently as in times past. Consequently, the day-to-day job of providing posts has been spread among other contributors. While we are not always able to have a daily post, owing to our own personal duties and commitments, we have tried to post frequently here. I give thanks to Scoop and NEO for the parts they have played in supplying this blog with posts and interesting discussion.

It seems to me, however, that we are due for a reassessment of the purpose(s) of this blog: what it is for and how we can better serve the Kingdom in this virtual place. Much of the material on this blog has been concerned with secular politics, politics within the Church, and the interaction between the Church and the world. We have looked at Church history, and at important contributors to Church theology. We have also been quite personal at times, growing as a community and occasionally discussing our personal devotional lives and moral struggles. The love and companionship of this place is found not only in our discussions, but also in our private prayer lives, and I am personally thankful to all of you who have prayed for me, whether about career changes, identity issues, or my broader walk with the Lord. These things are all good, and should not cease – but perhaps we need to seek some clarity of purpose.

This blog has a varied audience, which is why, as a Christian blog, it ought to serve a range of purposes. For non-Christians, it ought to present the Good News about Jesus Christ in a simple, clear format and, if possible, recommend next steps and resources for people who want to find out more or who decide to follow Jesus. Without the permissions to edit the layout of the blog, my way forward on this point is limited for the time being. Ideally, I would like to place some appropriate tabs in the top banner and side bars to meet the needs of this audience.

As for those who are Christians, the pressing needs of these end times require us to focus on certain matters in our efforts to prepare for the return of our Lord. There will necessarily be an overlap between the needs of this audience and those of the former, because the return of Christ is part of the Good News. In particular, the following matters weigh on my heart, and I hope that some of the contributors and readers feel the same way.

• It would by good to explain why this world must end and the reign of Christ begin.
• We need to get more specific about how a righteous government under Christ would look in comparison with how the world is governed today (economics, etc put in the context of morality).
• We need to go deeper in unity, looking more and more at why and how Christians from different denominations can love each other and rally around Christ as our focal point.
• The question of whether all believers will get to participate in the millennial reign of Christ ought to be discussed: if it is contingent upon our maturity, then the discussion of our growth and sanctification becomes pressing.
• The return of Christ is closer than many – perhaps most – in the Church realise. In order to prepare for this in faith, we must first wholeheartedly accept this proposition, on the basis of Scripture, observation, and revelation.

Lastly, it is my desire that this place would become a fellowship where our individual gifts and talents can be put to greater use. As a non-physical gathering, it will not be a forum for some kinds of activity, but I believe we can seek the Lord in prayer for how this principle from 1 Corinthians can be implemented here, and we can pray for each other and email each other regarding the use of our abilities out there in the “real world”. I do believe the kind of supplementary fellowship we have here can strengthen our contributions to our local church communities.

God bless and look up – for your redemption draws near.

Today, as in ages past, we find ourselves attempting to steer a middle course between Scylla and Charybdis. This is true in various parts of life (indeed this basic principle is foundational to Aristotelian virtue theory), but in this post, my emphasis is on government and politics. On the one hand, lies the danger of viewing the state as the source of our rights; on the other lies, hyper-democracy. Neither ideology is compatible with a Christian worldview.

The state is not the source of our rights, of our role as image of God on this earth. God created us as His image, meant to subdue and govern the earth according to the principles of His Kingdom. He sent His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to teach us what those Kingdom principles are.

He created the state in order to exercise some kind of justice in this fallen world, as a bulwark against the kind of chaos that characterised the earth in Noah’s day (Genesis 6). Administering justice does not entail that the state is the source of our rights – only that it has been ordained to protect and enforce them. Acting on God’s behalf does not entail that one is God. Were I to enter the throne room of  a medieval monarch, I would show respect to the Lord Chancellor, but I would pay homage to the King. So in this world, placing the state on too high a pedestal is equivalent to mistaking the Chancellor for the King.

The state’s authority, given it by God, is not intended for the purpose of interfering in every aspect of human life.  It holds its authority on trust for the beneficial interest of the people it governs. When it ceases to obey the principles of trust by which it was validly constituted, it loses its authority and is in need of replacement. This was the conclusion drawn by the authors of the American Revolution, relying on ideas elaborated by Thomas Aquinas and Enlightenment thinkers. They held that the state, as embodied by His Majesty George III and his ministers and Parliament, no longer exercised its power for the true weal of the people.

These revolutionaries, spurning the Scylla of tyranny that glowered above them, were also careful to steer away from the Charybdis of hyper-democracy. The good of the people, their welfare and prosperity, is independent of the people’s wishes. Right and wrong, albeit perceived and heeded contextually, are independent of our wishes and emotions. We presuppose such objective morality when we appeal to a common standard by which to persuade an interlocutor to adopt or refrain from an attitude or course of action.

While the wishes of the majority should be obeyed in certain matters, owing to the respect we ought to show the gift of free will, the wishes of the majority cannot make what is wrong right or vice versa. For this reason, though the majority of a nation should consider abortion to be acceptable, the answer as to whether it is or not must be derived from reason and not from a poll. In so far as abortion is a species of murder, and the state owes a duty to prevent murder, the Christian worldview must reject democracy to the extent that it promotes a crime against which God ordained the state as a protection.

These two dangers lie at the centre of the corruption that is killing the nations today: people on the one hand, who think that the state is our highest authority; and people on the other, who think that the people can make whatever laws they choose. Neither extreme is acceptable, because both reject the kingship of God. As Christians we must resist attempts to bring the power and influence of the state into areas over which it has no lawful authority, and we must likewise speak truth to the people when they would themselves become tyrants over the laws of God.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

-Revelation 3:21

The Kingdom is woven into all the teachings of Christ. He taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come”. He taught that our good deeds on earth are seen by our Father in Heaven, and that He will reward us in the resurrection. He taught that His Kingdom is not of this world, and that this world is in darkness. Christ’s moral teaching is so sublime as to be unattainable by the flesh: it is the power of the Spirit, who is given to us as an earnest of the Kingdom, that makes us able to live as Christ did.

In our suffering, the resurrection is our comfort. The Kingdom is what we are striving for: even as we wait for the return of Jesus, we catch glimpses of the Kingdom now in works of power and love. Healings, true Christian love, casting out of evil spirits, and revelation of God – these things are signs of the coming Kingdom.

The Kingdom is our inheritance: when Christ takes the kingdoms of the earth from the Gentiles and restores the Kingdom to Israel, His faithful followers will sit upon thrones and oversee the governments of the earth. This world is a terrible place, a vale of tears as the old Catholic words tell us (“in hac valle lacrimarum”).

Today I watched Paul: Apostle of Christ. As I looked upon the depravity of burning Christians alive under Nero, I thought to myself, “I cannot pretend this is all over: this is the sort of thing that ISIS does to people.” The Christians overcame the Romans and the demons by laying down their lives for Christ and passing on the Good News about Him. Their martyrdom was costly, but it sent a resounding message throughout the ancient world: Jesus Christ is Lord.

The spiritual rulers in darkness and fallen humans try to claim that title, Lord. Their rulership is coming to an end. One of the great proclamations from Heaven in the Book of Revelation is this: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

A world ruled by Christ is better than the one we have made for ourselves. The powers of darkness do not rule for our benefit; they do not have the shepherd’s heart that characterises Christ. The works of the Kingdom we practise now are training for government in that age to come. Our lives parallel the life of Christ, of which David’s life was a foreshadow. David served as a humble shepherd. Anointed by Samuel, he was persecuted by Saul, to whom he showed mercy and compassion. Finally he was vindicated by enthronement in Jerusalem, graced by the presence of God in the tabernacle on Mount Zion – a time when the Levitical strictures were in abeyance.

So our lives reflect that of David: we are nobodies in this world, but we have received the Spirit, and we are called to learn kingship and compassion. One day we will see the glory of God when Christ returns to Mount Zion. Even now, as Paul the Apostle informed the Church, we are seated on thrones in heavenly places: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

My prayer is that, as we move closer to the Day of Christ, God would light a fire of yearning for the Kingdom afresh in our hearts, and help us to believe with conviction that we are already seated on those thrones in Heaven, thrones that John was privileged to see descend to earth in the resurrection.

Many contributors and readers at AATW know that I believe the return of Christ is near. I will not state a year or make any of the specific predictions that date-setters do. I do not believe He will return in the next year; all I can say is that, in my spirit, I feel the coming and believe it will be within my lifetime.

I have held this belief for some time. It is born from an intuition, deep within, and from reading Scripture. Jesus in His Olivet Discourse gave a sequence to help us understand when His return would be near: the Abomination of Desolation; the Great Tribulation; the darkening of the sky; the sign of the Son of Man and the return of Jesus on the clouds.

Without a proper understanding of this sequence, the Olivet Discourse becomes unintelligible. The intertextuality between the Olivet Discourse and the Book of Daniel, followed up by the Book of Revelation, allows the reader to form a more complete picture of the end of the age.

The Abomination of Desolation referred to by Christ has not happened yet. Those who assert it happened in AD 70 make an error in their typology and misread what Josephus, our most important source on the sack of Jerusalem, has to say on the matter. Josephus did not understand AD 70 as a mirror to Antiochus’ desolation of the Temple in 167 BC. Antiochus’ desolation happened in the Jewish month of Chislev. The sack of Jerusalem in AD 70 happened on Tisha b’Av, the same day as the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC. Josephus understood AD 70 as a mirror to the Babylonian Exile, not as a mirror to the Seleucid persecution.

Whichever generation witnesses the Abomination of Desolation will also see the return of Christ. When He returns, He will set up His millennial Kingdom. The good works of the saints will follow them into the Kingdom (AKA the “Messianic Age”, the “Millennium”, etc), but much that we associate with “how we do Church” will not survive.

The Millennium represents a challenge to our perspective and our way of doing things. Its approach forces us to consider our priorities and question our attachment to things that are not essential to the Kingdom.

Sometimes, a glimpse of the reality of the Kingdom is enough to clear our mental fog, helping us to focus on what is really important.

…and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come… 

-Hebrews 6:5

The first Christians saw these powers in the miraculous signs that accompanied the preaching of the Gospel. These signs testified to the reality of the risen Christ, including His promise to return, and showed them what heaven on earth would be like. Healing wonders revealed God’s love and compassion and the perfect state He planned for the world. Speaking in new tongues represented a reversal of the confusion caused at Babel: mankind would be one in Christ. Note that our national tongues were not abolished by this miracle: the catholicity of the early Church did not destroy the variation and distinctiveness that God spread among humans. The ability to strike enemies blind also emphasised the authority of Christ in heaven and on earth: nothing would be permitted to hinder the proclamation of His Gospel.

As we think about the approach of this Kingdom and see hints of its quality in the wonders of God, we must incorporate Kingdom thinking into our approach to today’s challenges.

Today, as an adjunct to a post over at NEO, I’m sharing another Anglican Unscripted video, this one on the question of ISIS in Iraq.

I make no comment about what should be done on the foreign policy and military levels except to repeat what I have often said: Turkey bears watching. Turkey features prominently in end times discussions these days, thanks to the influence of writers like Joel Richardson. Interpretation of apocalyptic and prophetic passages is notoriously difficult and controversial, but no one can deny that many of the territories mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39 are in modern-day Turkey.

Father Argo’s comment on charity is another important point to take from this video: much giving, including to Christian charities, never reaches its intended recipients. For this reason, it seems wise to properly research charities before making donations, giving only where one is certain the money will be used properly.

It is important to remember that a great deal of oil passes through the Middle East. I am not a “prepper” (at least in the physical sense), but I think it is wise for people to be aware that we could experience economic problems consequent on wars in the Middle East. That is not to say we should become fixated on the problem – only that we should not let the shock of such a possible event overwhelm us. Those are times when we must attempt calm thought, looking to God for guidance and strength.

The high point of this interview is the discussion of dreams and visions, followed by Bible study and discipleship. This is an important reminder that our God will do whatever it takes to reach us: He loves us and wants the best for us. As we look to revival, seeking God in prayer, let us draw on these testimonies for strength, perseverance, and inspiration.

I have recently read Milton’s Samson Agonistes. Samson’s story, like much of the Book of Judges, has little in the way of editorial commentary, which means that the reader is left to draw his own conclusions about what is good and what is evil in the story. That being said, traditional readings among Jews and Christians have generally found a basic consensus on the events and motifs of the tale, and that consensus is unpopular in today’s world.

Destroying one’s enemies

The destruction of the Philistines is a central element of the Samson story. The Angel who prophesies his birth tells his parents that he was born to deliver Israel from Philistine oppression. He has numerous violent encounters with the Philistines, including the famous slaughter with the jawbone of an ass, and culminating in the incident at the temple of Dagon.

Christianity has a complex view of martial violence; nevertheless, Samson is affirmed as a hero in the New Testament.

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

-Hebrews 11:32-34

There are times when a military approach is necessary. It should not be desired for its own sake, nor should it be lightly undertaken, but it is necessary. If Israel had continued under Philistine oppression, it might have fallen into apostasy and idolatry and ceased to be distinctive as a nation, melting into the surrounding Canaanite culture.

Samson stands out as a hero, a brave man who singlehandedly fought to liberate Israel from her oppressors. He fought when the rest of his nation would not help him, armed not with steel or bronze, but with the power of God’s Spirit, in whom he placed his trust. He is an inspiration for us today to have faith when things look bad, when we look weak and isolated. But he is also a reminder of the need to defend our country when she is threatened by enemies.

Putting God first

Samson goes wrong because he fails to keep God first in his life: this is arguably the greatest lesson we can take from his walk of faith. He finds himself unhappy in his first marriage because he has married outside of Israel. God is able to turn this into an opportunity to begin the liberation of Israel, but this is a contingent series of events. Things could have been otherwise: Samson could have married within Israel and God could have provided another means for him to remove the yoke of Philistine oppression.

In Delilah Samson meets his downfall. By revealing the secret of his strength, his Nazarite locks of hair, he places his love for her over his love for God. This lesson is particularly unpopular in today’s world, which places Eros, not Agape, at the pinnacle of its Babylonian tower of values. If Samson had put God before his romantic liaison, he would not have revealed the secret, and would have avoided the capture and slavery that degraded him and led to his tragic death.

Grace and supremacy

Samson’s story does not end with his work in the prison-house of  Gaza. Though blinded and humiliated, his hair grows back, a symbol of God’s supervening grace. He seeks the LORD in prayer, and God grants him a guide in his blindness and the strength and opportunity to pull down the temple of Dagon, humiliating the idol and destroying the Philistines.

In this example of grace, we see God’s forgiveness and faithfulness to His covenants and promises. We also see His supremacy: God said that Samson would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines, and He saw to it that the promise stood, despite Samson’s moral weakness. Following the time of Samson, God raised up David to complete the work.

Women

At first glance, women do not come across well in the Samson story. It would be a mistake, however, to read it misogynistically. The point of the story is not that women are any worse than men: Samson is culpable for failing to keep his Nazarite vow.

There is a contrast, however, between the treacherous wheedling used by Delilah and the honest, open force used by Samson in battle. We are not meant to infer that women are inherently more treacherous than men – the Bible is full of stories of male treachery. The contrast and allocation to the genders is there simply to hammer home the warning about treachery, which is an important motif in the Bible: be careful about where you place your trust.

Conclusion

At the start of the year, it is common to think about resolutions, repentance, and aspirations. In our more humble and virtuous moments, we think about what we got wrong and what we would like to do better. We also hope for achievements, successes that will make us feel good. Samson’s story should serve as a warning and a message of hope going forward: we must persevere despite our own failings and the failings of others and look to God as our strength to carry on. Happy new year!

As we pass from 2018 into 2019, it is appropriate to look back and forward.  2018 has been a year of revelations. We have seen just how deep political convictions can be and the lengths to which people will go to achieve their desired ends. Such dark revelations have been countered by visions of light: we have been reminded that God ultimately is in control. He has accorded free will to mankind, but man will not prevent the King from exercising His power to break into our lives, bringing grace and truth.

This is an age of division and the divisions are going to get worse. The darkness will get darker and the light brighter. 2018 battered us with its hurdles and tensions. The confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh seemed doubtful and the mid-term elections seemed to threaten a “blue wave” that would empower the Democrats to impeach the President. But Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed and the Republicans kept control of the Senate.

Looking forward, we are confronted with the challenge of realising a vision. All the contributors and readers here know that God’s Kingdom is beyond the politics of man. Votes that we may cast for the Republican or Conservative parties are not cast with the frenzied adulation that characterises the cult of personality. No, we cast such votes because we deem that, at the time (and this is an important qualification), these parties are the best means in our democratic systems to safeguard our God-given liberties.

The Gospel would continue if we found ourselves under the kind of tyrannies that characterise other parts of the world. Indeed, this year has been a great year for evangelism in countries such as Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Syria, and 2019 promises a continued ingathering of God’s Elect as evils of the spiritual and human worlds are exposed by the Spirit of God.

https://www.catalyticministries.com/blog/2018/10/25/redemptive-compassion-ministries-rxhx9-ykeyj

https://www.faimission.org/our-three-mandates/

https://iranaliveministries.org/

Let 2019 be the year of Transformation, a year in which God transforms His Church and the Church, in reliance on God, transforms the world. God promised that He would empower His Church before the great and terrible Day of the LORD. That Day draws nearer, and the stark choice it places before all of us becomes clearer. On the one hand, we hear the voices of death, calling for the destruction of the nations, of liberty, of faith in Christ, of Israel. On the other, we hear the call of faithfulness and hope in the redemptive and transformative power of God.

If the verse for 2018 was, “Rule in the midst of your enemies”, let the verse for 2019 be, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Let 2019 be a year of transformation as we prepare for the coming of Christ. A blessed new year to you all.

But what more oft in Nations grown corrupt,
And by thir vices brought to servitude,
Then to love Bondage more then Liberty,
Bondage with ease then strenuous liberty;
And to despise, or envy, or suspect
Whom God hath of his special Favour rais’d
As thir Deliverer; if he aught begin,
How frequent to desert him, and at last
To heap ingratitude on worthiest deeds?

-Milton, Samson Agonistes, ll 269-276

Samson Agonistes is Milton’s presentation of the final day of Samson as a tragedy (i.e. the day when he pulled the temple of Dagon down on the Philistines in the style of a tragedy by Aeschylus, Sophocles, or Euripides). Among the themes explored in this tragedy are liberty, self-control, and obedience to God. They are contrasted with human weakness for the sensual and its concomitant slavery, as well as the folly of disobedience to the revealed will of God.

Liberty has been an important theme this year. The appointment of Justice Kavanaugh was about restoring the liberty enshrined in the constitution and declaring that the pretended liberty of abortion is a sham. No one has the right to kill another human being for personal reasons. In the midterms, Americans contended for two different visions of America: on the one hand, the diminution of the state as espoused by conservatives and libertarians; on the other, the increasing encroachment of the state upon our personal freedoms and privacy. In the United Kingdom, we saw continued tensions over the implementation of Brexit, and the question of the UK’s freedom from EU control thereafter.

Liberty, at its core, is an arena in which rationalists and transcendentalists contend against empiricists. The empiricists who believe liberty should be preserved are at war with themselves, whether they realise it or not. Liberty as a universal value that should bind humanity (if one will pardon the apparent paradox) cannot be derived from experience. If, which is neither admitted nor denied, experience tells man that he has liberty, it does not tell him that he should maintain liberty for himself and his neighbour.

This is the paradox of liberty as espoused by God-fearers. Liberty as a gift from God to mankind carries a restriction, an obligation. Unlike the hurly burly of a godless universe, in which one man, to maximise his liberty, restrains that of his neighbour, the God-fearing account of liberty tells each man to restrain himself in order to allow his neighbour to exercise the freedom that is his own particular gift.

This virtuous self-restraint makes an appearance in the question of abortion, which seems an appropriate topic following the Feast of the Holy Innocents. In destroying a child in the womb, one is depriving it of its freedom to live and, in living, to exercise all the other freedoms accorded to a human being as it experiences what the world has to offer. While it is admitted that humans do lawfully constrain the freedom of other humans through imprisonment, financial penalties, and death in war and execution, these are justified on the basis of justice and protection. These justifications are not available in the case of abortion: the child is too young to have incurred moral blame for any threat, real or imagined, that it purportedly poses to its mother and her wider circle of family and acquaintances.

Liberty, being a necessary condition of moral action, therefore attracts praise and blame when moral actions are performed. A person who freely chooses to destroy the life of an unborn child has transgressed. The court to which such a case pertains is not the court of experience: whether one feels good or bad about the matter is not the point. It is God, in and beyond our physical world, who sees and judges such an act.

As we head into 2019, mindful of the challenges it brings, contending for our ancient liberties, we can remember that our liberties bring us into moral choices on a daily basis. Being free in law is not the whole story. Our lives are open to God, who knows the thoughts of our hearts. If doing the right thing is illegal, that will not provide us with an excuse when, on Judgment Day, Christ asks us if we denied or confessed Him. Correlatively, should the wrong thing prove lawful according to man’s laws, that will not exonerate our acts deemed wrongful by Heaven’s court. The abortionists have been warned.

The Bible warns us not to be consumed by anger, but to master it. Anger has many causes and many effects. It can lead us to despair, to unkind words, or even to violence. The cold anger that fuels Pharisaism can exacerbate that prideful tendency to look down on one’s fellowman.

Herein lies the problem: our quest for Truth, righteousness, and love will lead us to anger. How can one not feel anger at bad things done to family and friends or at the decline of one’s country or at the promulgation of lies? The answer cannot be to stop caring. A person who ceases to be connected to life, to those around him, has ceased to meet the social call of our human nature. Even monks participate in a communal life shared with their brethren, be it working on farmland, teaching in a school, serving the sick and destitute, or singing Mass in chapel.

But the world system is what it is. We can strive to limit it by the spread of the Gospel, but the Bible tells us that it is Christ Himself who will destroy the Beast and, by means of the Beast, Babylon. We may lift up our prayers to that end, but we cannot force God’s hand. Patience is required – and strong doses of compassion and humility.

Both of the latter I am increasingly finding difficult. The more one sees of life in all its forms, the more there is to find shocking. The greater the problems seem, the more powerless one feels. We cannot save ourselves, and no “system” can work the transformational change of the human heart that lies with God. Only His Spirit, acting through the Gospel, can change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

Christ called the Spirit the Comforter. It may sound self-indulgent, but perhaps what many of us conservatives need right now is a kind of comfort. Filled with bitterness, regret, and anger at the decay of our homelands, homes, and Christian institutions, we are heartbroken. (I suspect that many amillennialists and postmillennialists are also in shock. They were prepared for a Christian takeover of the world and that has not happened.) We need the comfort and hope that the Spirit provides without losing the fiery zeal that should spur us on to worship God in liturgy and deed.

This perhaps provides a way forward for the chronic weltschmerz felt by so many of us: a vibrant prayer-life – something I myself too often neglect – seeking God’s presence and refreshing so that with peace in our hearts we may continue to love and serve in the midst of destruction and decay, trusting that from these ashes the Phoenix that is Messiah will rise, glorious in His coming Kingdom.

***

Postscript: 

Today is Mrs Proudie’s last post at Archbishop Cranmer. She and her husband are moving on to do God’s work elsewhere with the result that she will not be able to maintain her contribution to the blog. There is also concern that the blog as a whole may have to close down, seemingly for financial reasons.

http://archbishopcranmer.com/the-last-chronicle-of-barset/