Job 21:25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
Oh Friends, what’s our world coming to eh? When will the stupid violence cease? Bitterness and angry emotions are so rampant nowadays that it’s frightening. Look at the nonsense yesterday in Mumbai (Bombay) India. Those fools blowing up so many places simultaneously, randomly killing people and taking hostages. But they’re proud martyrs. Cheups! Is that going to solve any problems? Not on your life! It’s only going to spark angry retaliation. And as Job says, ‘They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.’ (vs.26) Yes Friends, we all go the same place eventually; the grave, regardless of our beliefs, behaviour, wealth or social position. So what’s the point of all this antagonism eh? Cause ‘All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean.’ (Eccl.9:2) Yet we kill, plunder, terrorize and maim with impunity, in our sick, bitter response to some crazy ideal or imagined wrong. And sadly, the majority of strife and fear currently engulfing our world is being fuelled by claims on behalf of some deity or the other. Like back in the Middle Ages, the times of the Crusades etc. fanaticism, intolerance and subversion are rearing their ugly heads again under the guise of religion. Rabble-rousers, agitators and insurgents are everywhere, stirring the already boiling cauldron, all adherents of some divine being. I thought religion was considered the opiate of the people; kept them calm, quiet and peaceful. Certainly not today! But the anger and violent actions aren’t making things better either. The Middle East is a powder keg, just waiting to blow. Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Africa, China, Eastern Europe, Burma, Columbia, Mexico; all those places, plus some I forgot, have outward strife over religious beliefs, economic sustenance (oil, minerals) or petty tribal disagreements. It’s twenty one hundred years now people, since Christ came to earth and showed us the right way to live. By now we should be doing much better than we are, especially after the great wars and the many speeches about their negative effects, but we’re actually getting worse. I doubt the world has ever been engulfed in a state of fear like it is today, and in a time of peace too. Small areas always had big problems, but that fear was never translated to others thousands of mile away, in a real tangible manner, as now. No one knows when or where the next act of aggression or violence will occur. Note the sudden rise of piracy along the African coastline. Small groups all over the world are instilling fear in the majority, holding them to ransom. What’s the majority doing to stop it? Obviously not enough, since the purveyors of violence are getting braver and casting their net ever wider. But what can really be done about it, eh? The lawlessness obviously can’t be allowed to continue. Physical retaliation is only a small part of the answer, for real fanatics are more than willing to die for a cause; re the numerous suicide bombings. Harry Emerson Fosdick claims that ‘Bitterness imprisons life; LOVE releases it.’ Yes Friends, LOVE is the end all and be all. Even the misguided, brainwashed perpetrators believe they do their thing for LOVE. LOVE is the most powerful tool in the world, and can be used for good or evil. Listen to Hezekiah in his time of sickness. ‘Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in LOVE to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption…’ (Is.38:17) Yes people, The Lord’s LOVE saved him. And Jesus’ directive was; ‘I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you.’ (Luke 6:27) Also: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12)Therefore people, in keeping with Bruh Paul’s advice: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:31-32) Doing it in those small, everyday aspects of our lives will make obeying Jesus’ command much easier. So Friends, if we really want to calm the violence, let’s go out there and show plenty, plenty LOVE nuh! Much LOVE!…LOVE…is the answer to all ills…
Oh Friends, what’s our world coming to eh? When will the stupid violence cease? Bitterness and angry emotions are so rampant nowadays that it’s frightening. Look at the nonsense yesterday in Mumbai (Bombay) India. Those fools blowing up so many places simultaneously, randomly killing people and taking hostages. But they’re proud martyrs. Cheups! Is that going to solve any problems? Not on your life! It’s only going to spark angry retaliation. And as Job says, ‘They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.’ (vs.26) Yes Friends, we all go the same place eventually; the grave, regardless of our beliefs, behaviour, wealth or social position. So what’s the point of all this antagonism eh? Cause ‘All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean.’ (Eccl.9:2) Yet we kill, plunder, terrorize and maim with impunity, in our sick, bitter response to some crazy ideal or imagined wrong. And sadly, the majority of strife and fear currently engulfing our world is being fuelled by claims on behalf of some deity or the other. Like back in the Middle Ages, the times of the Crusades etc. fanaticism, intolerance and subversion are rearing their ugly heads again under the guise of religion. Rabble-rousers, agitators and insurgents are everywhere, stirring the already boiling cauldron, all adherents of some divine being. I thought religion was considered the opiate of the people; kept them calm, quiet and peaceful. Certainly not today! But the anger and violent actions aren’t making things better either. The Middle East is a powder keg, just waiting to blow. Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Africa, China, Eastern Europe, Burma, Columbia, Mexico; all those places, plus some I forgot, have outward strife over religious beliefs, economic sustenance (oil, minerals) or petty tribal disagreements. It’s twenty one hundred years now people, since Christ came to earth and showed us the right way to live. By now we should be doing much better than we are, especially after the great wars and the many speeches about their negative effects, but we’re actually getting worse. I doubt the world has ever been engulfed in a state of fear like it is today, and in a time of peace too. Small areas always had big problems, but that fear was never translated to others thousands of mile away, in a real tangible manner, as now. No one knows when or where the next act of aggression or violence will occur. Note the sudden rise of piracy along the African coastline. Small groups all over the world are instilling fear in the majority, holding them to ransom. What’s the majority doing to stop it? Obviously not enough, since the purveyors of violence are getting braver and casting their net ever wider. But what can really be done about it, eh? The lawlessness obviously can’t be allowed to continue. Physical retaliation is only a small part of the answer, for real fanatics are more than willing to die for a cause; re the numerous suicide bombings. Harry Emerson Fosdick claims that ‘Bitterness imprisons life; LOVE releases it.’ Yes Friends, LOVE is the end all and be all. Even the misguided, brainwashed perpetrators believe they do their thing for LOVE. LOVE is the most powerful tool in the world, and can be used for good or evil. Listen to Hezekiah in his time of sickness. ‘Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in LOVE to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption…’ (Is.38:17) Yes people, The Lord’s LOVE saved him. And Jesus’ directive was; ‘I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you.’ (Luke 6:27) Also: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12)Therefore people, in keeping with Bruh Paul’s advice: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:31-32) Doing it in those small, everyday aspects of our lives will make obeying Jesus’ command much easier. So Friends, if we really want to calm the violence, let’s go out there and show plenty, plenty LOVE nuh! Much LOVE!…LOVE…is the answer to all ills…
SCRIP-BITS 