Calling All Saints!

We need help!  The world is a mess!  This country is a mess!  What are we going to do?  Who will rise up to save us?  Jesus already did.  His many followers have kept hope alive ever since.  Now it’s up to us.  Will we become the saints we are all meant to be?

What is the root cause of our problems today?  The same as always, us, we the people.  Since the beginning of time we have been our own worst enemies. I think we too often forget that we were handed a perfect world.  The world we have now is the result of our collective choices and actions.  What we have done, and what we have failed to do.

Interestingly, most would agree that we have a mess on our hands.  Unfortunately there is no common agreement on what the real problems are, or how to solve them.  This is our biggest obstacle to cleaning up our mess, division. We are hopelessly divided in as many ways as can be thought of.  Religion, politics, race, gender, cat people, dog people … whatever.

As Abraham Lincoln said long ago, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”  The question is, in what way will it fall?  Thankfully back in his day we fell on the side of freedom from slavery, so there is hope.

Division is not a new problem.  Lincoln obviously took his inspiration from the bible: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”  Mark 3:24-25

Actually, division can be a good thing.  Division can be a wake-up call and call to action for needed change.  It may help us recognize we need to save ourselves from destruction.  Or back a couple thousand years ago, for someone to come save us from ourselves through His sacrifice.

Jesus Christ came to us as the great divider.  He told us Himself:

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”  Luke 51-53

Wow, now that is some uncomfortable division.  What are the sides?  The fight that has been waged since the beginning of time; Good versus evil. Saints versus sinners.  We are all both.  The battle is continually fought within each of us.  We will lose many battles but we must strive to win the war.  How do we do that?  By uniting around the most important cause there is.  By striving to be the saints we are all meant to be!

I write this on All Saints Day.  A day designated to honor all those who lived a life worthy of gaining eternal life in heaven.  Everyone who makes it to heaven is considered a saint.  How do we know who they are?  We don’t.  We can’t.  Only God knows for sure.  We can guess.  Many have been designated as such.  God willing, someday we will be deemed worthy to join them.  In the meantime, all we can do is hope and pray for our dearly departed to have made it.

But what about us?  What can we do to become the saints we were all born to become?  Believe in Jesus.  He is the way, the truth, and the light.  Take up your cross and follow Him.  Love God and neighbors.  Be your true self, your God given self.  Discover, develop, and use your talents to serve others in meaningful ways.  Seek, find, and live by truth.  Inspire, motivate, and help others to do the same.  The goal?  Get to heaven and brings as many others with you as you can.

Above all I think it might be courage which is the most important trait of a saint.  Imagine for a moment what it took for the early Christians to promote and live their faith.  Their leader had just been crucified.  There was a good chance they would meet a similar fate.  Back then, today was likely called All Martyrs Day.  We can learn a lot about courage from those early saints.  We should thank them every day for their faith.  It allowed us to keep the faith.

I start every day asking God how I’m doing and what I should do next in my saint striving mission.  I sit in silence, try to get out of my own head, and attempt to simply listen.  Answers eventually come.  I always wonder if they are from Him or me.  My assumption is that if what I receive is something I don’t want to hear or do, it is from Him.  Most of these articles come to me in that way.  I try to do as I’m told and ask for His help along the way.

Today the below came to me very quickly.  That is unusual.  I take that as a sign that it must be important in some way.  As I asked how I was doing, the answer became a sort of 2020 performance appraisal for us as a people of the United States of America.

Now here’s the deal.  I don’t know if what I heard was Him, me, or some combination.  It could be what He was saying, what I wish He would say, or again some of both. All I know is that I typed it out quickly without much thought, and that I am going to publish it without edit.  And to be clear, this is a general performance review, so apply it to yourself as you see fit.  Here goes:

Let me start out by stating that I love you and am rooting for you all.  I’d really like to have you all join me in heaven to live for an eternity in peace and harmony.

Let’s start with the good stuff:

• I’m so happy to see families spending more time together.
• It’s great that you parents are more involved in your children’s schooling.
• I’m glad many of you have learned how to work from home.  Maybe that will enable you to spend less time physically away from your family.
• It is encouraging to see that many of you have learned that some of the things you spent your time on in the past are not that important.  Now you know you can do without them.

Now for the troubling items.  I’m not going to sugar coat these things.  Sugar, now that was a great invention.  You consume too much but still.  Back to the point, I am very upset about what is going on down there.

In summary, you are showing very little faith in me.  You have allowed fear and deception to rule your lives for almost an entire year.  Even when the truth can be easily known, you choose to live by lies.

Too many of you falsely believe that this virus is deadlier than others you have experienced in the past.  This leads you to continue to take precautions that are not necessary and in fact will not work anyway.  The virus is going to do what viruses do.  They play themselves out and life goes on.  Yes a few will die and some will suffer.  Most of you will not.  But remember, if you do, you might get to come live with me.  So what are you so afraid of?

But as you continue to live a false reality, you hurt so many others you believe you are protecting.  While you may be well meaning, you are terribly misguided.  Most of you have the ability to find the truth for yourselves.  If you choose not to then that is on you.  And if you know the truth and don’t attempt to spread the word, that is unacceptable as well.

I am so disappointed that purveyors of truth are being demonized while those promoting intentionally misleading narratives and outright lies are seen as virtuous.  I thank those having the courage to continue to speak truth to power.  So many have lost so much; their livelihoods, reputations, and friendships.  Remember, blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you will be satisfied.  And patience is a virtue.

I am most troubled by my church leaders who willingly shut down our places of worship.  A very few refused to comply, I thank them for their faith and courage.  To you who have not, or who continue to impose unnecessary precautions I say, please stop this nonsense.  You should know better, oh yea of little faith.  Show some leadership or step aside.  People are meant for communion; to be around each other, not afraid of each other.  Stop prolonging the undue fear.  I’ll say it one more time, Be Not Afraid!

And about this election taking place tomorrow.  Talk about the easiest choice ever presented for Christians.  One side protects my unborn babies, the other universally supports killing them up to, and even after their birth.  One side supports religious liberty, the other side fights against it. They even took me out of the Pledge of Allegiance at their national convention.  I’m not proud, but come on.

I know many of you like to argue about other issues to justify a vote for a Democrat.  Please be aware that until everyone is guaranteed life and liberty, nothing else matters.  And do you really think a political party that fights against life and liberty actually cares about solving any other important issue?  Is that too harsh?

Finally, I know many of you choose not to vote at all.  That is a mistake.  You are either for me or against me.  It really couldn’t be clearer nowadays.  Remember, all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.  And just think, if every Christian voted for Republicans in one election cycle we could end this horror of abortion.  That’s all it would take.  So get out and vote!

I’ll leave you with this.  The path to life is narrow while the road to destruction is broad.  But I’m rooting for you and ready to help.  All you need to do is ask, trust, and do.  If more of you did, I’d be happy to widen the gate to paradise.

In conclusion, I ask that you seriously consider which path you are on.  If you find yourself following along with the crowd you may want to reconsider.  If you are suppressing your true self, stop it.  If you are going along to get along, stop it.  If you are afraid to speak your mind when you know you are in the right and it will help others, get over your fear.  Courage is facing your fears and pushing past them.  You can do it! 

Well that was rough, yet oddly inspiring.  I for one am looking forward to a new year, a new beginning.  I have a renewed enthusiasm for striving to do good and be good, and for helping others to do the same.

I am contemplating somehow establishing a community of striving saints.  A group of people dedicated to striving to become what God intends for them to be.

I’m thinking of making weekly videos, hosting online forums where we can converse and support each other, and conducting interviews to gain the wisdom of others.  Something like that.

More on these plans to come soon.  In the meantime, if you find this of interest please send me a note, maybe just reply “interested” and I’ll be sure to keep you informed.

Be a Saint!  Scott