There is a madness that is running rampant in our world today, even in the Church. This madness says that we must do all we can to remain as safe and comfortable as possible. We must submit to whatever ridiculous and draconian thing that the authorities say must be done for our “health and welfare” and we must never ever be made to feel uncomfortable.
I submit to you that Jesus is less worried about our comfort than our souls. A new religion is taking shape before our very eyes. The god of comfort and safety is one that demands that we bow before it. The propaganda arm of this new religion is the media. Sadly, most of our Church leaders have given in to this new religion and run fawningly into the arms of the “experts” who know what is best for us and what is most acceptable. These lockdowns and restrictions are nothing more than naked power grabs. We cannot submit to this again. We cannot possibly know the long-term effects of this on the mental and emotional health of our society, which was already fragile and wandering at best. Suicide rates and attempts have risen dramatically, domestic abuse is up across the board, substance abuse that was already at epidemic levels is on the rise. And the Church is complicit in some of this. The refusal of the Church to stand against this madness is tragic beyond words. The state, and its new religion of compliance and control at all costs, does not have the authority to dictate to the Church how she lives her life. Only Jesus has that authority, along with Holy Scripture and Tradition. Never in the history of the Church have we bowed to Caesar as we are now. I recognize fully that there is a virus going around that is making people sick and, tragically, has caused some people to die. The issue is not the virus and I really wish our leaders in the Church would recognize that. There have always been health dangers in our world and there always will be. We will not change that before Christ returns. This notion that we can just keep people safe, no matter the cost, is ridiculous, completely illogical and not Christian. We are obsessed, in our world, with comfort and safety. And we will have it at all costs. We want comfort even if it costs us our souls. The Church and her members must stand against this notion. Following Christ has never and will never be about comfort. Rather, Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition tells us repeatedly that, if we are to follow Christ, we will have to take up our cross and follow Him. No matter the cost. To do otherwise is to turn our backs on the God who came to us in the flesh and spit in the face of His sacrifice. He suffered beyond what we can possibly imagine, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, as He took on the burden of the salvation of the world. Can you imagine the cost of His burden? “And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him: 3 Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth. 8 He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.” – Isaiah 53:2-8 (DR) Look and see the price paid by our Saviour. Let us consider His sacrifice. And then let us consider if the Bride of Christ has followed in His example. Let us consider if we, as individual members of the Body of Christ, have followed His example. Are we willing to forgo our own comfort for the prize of faithfulness to Christ? Let us turn again and return to the arms of our Saviour, stretched out on the cross for us, no matter how uncomfortable it will be. Deo gratias!
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