Come and See

Every year and every generation has its own cross ✝️ to bear. Across our nation 🇬🇧 and across our world 🌍 we face the unprecedented reality that the elderly are among our most vulnerable. In times of prosperity, this is often forgotten about in some circles 😢 and yet it is the generations before us that laid the foundations of yesterday, to allow for the next generation to take hold of tomorrow.

I do not believe the above can be disputed, neither the biological fact that our very existence 👶 would not have been, if not for our natural born parents 👫. This chain can then follow that our parents would not have been if not for our grandparents 🧓👴 and so on. However biology is only one realm of thought 💭 and if we challenge ourselves further, it is also a social fact that our natural born parents would not have been, if not for what brought them together.

Now you may be wondering 🤔 if today's article is going to get all mushy 🥴 when it isn't Valentine's Day yet 💝 but I assure you, it will not 😅🤭 

Like the natural fact that we experience different seasons 🌱🌻🍁❄️ at different times ⏰ there is a time and purpose for every season [Ecclesiates 3:1-8] BUT the good news is, each season does not always last. We know this scientific fact by observation to the Earth's position 🌎  to the Sun ☀️, both of which are under Heaven. Time itself 🕰️ is under Heaven in a likewise manner, considering it takes 365 days for the Earth 🌎 to move around the Sun ☀️ to create the 'year' we know today.

Q: How much more is under Heaven? 

Despite his challenges while in Babylonian captivity, the Prophet Daniel 🙏 tells us that it is God who changes the times and seasons, aswell as God who removes and sets up Kings 👑 [Daniel 2:21]. Now this would be a difficult pill 💊 to swallow if we were in Daniel's position, his Kingdom destroyed ❌ and in the Victor's Court to be an example for his countrymen to fall in line. As far as the Babylonians were concerned, this was the new status quo 🤷‍♂️

Q: How do we respond? 

How did Daniel respond? Did he accept the new status quo? YES ✅ even when under 'the shadow of death' [Psalms 23:4], he did the right thing by interpreting the King's dream when called to do so. While not seeking fame or glory, King Nebuchadnezzar 🦧 promoted him as a result to serve Babylon and that he did [Daniel 2:48]. YET does this not sound familiar? Joseph son of Jacob made Prime Minister of Egypt 🐪 under Pharaoh after (you guessed it) interpreting Pharaoh's dream [Genesis 41:37-40]

Now what do we get from these two examples? Obviously not ❌ waiting for the Queen to dream a dream so we can replace Boris 😂 Not of the sort....and considering recent years and recent times, the office can be a blessing as much as a curse 😅 BUT the point is - they remained obedient, despite them both in situations that they had little control over. Both had beef 🥩 with the authorities; Joseph to not have his case fairly heard after a false allegation of rape 👀; and Daniel to defend his people from being assimilated by Babylon's Cybermen 🤖 attacking their identity and changing their names [Daniel 1:1-7] YET did they raise up arms? 

Our prime example of course is Jesus ✝️ himself, as he instructs us to do what he does [John 13:15]. His message remaining the same from start ▶️ to finish ⏹️ as he says "Follow me" to each disciple, the same message 📖 that is called today in 2020. Then, when it came to his arrest 👮‍♂️ despite the false charges, Peter naturally resisted his arrest 🗡️ to his defence BUT despite having full control of the situation to summon 'twelve legions of angels' 👼, he submitted to death [Matthew 26:51-54]. This was in total contrast to Daniel and Joseph who had little power. IF God himself would give to Caesar and submit to the Caesar of the world then [Matthew 22:21], what does this mean for us in the world now?

Q: How are we to be?

This now reaches the heart ❤️ of what has been on my mind for today's article. Thinking about the Mission Statement of The Challenger and the recent events of this year and last year. On social media platforms, I....see it over and over of the divisions 💔 that separate us BUT it is my firm belief that we cannot shy away from everything. 

Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost tells us, that we ought not to conform but reform ♻️ [Romans 12:2]. Putting it in its simplest terms, as a 'reform' requires a change like a renewed policy 📝or restructure ⚒️ to transform the way we do something. There is a movement ➡️ that takes place from what was🕯️ to what is💡. However if there is ❌ change, ❌ movement, we remain subjects/slaves. We live a lie. This is after all what 'con' means if we conform, we con ourselves. Can we con a con? 🔕🔇

Let me share with you the reality, as over and over we see the media 📺📡 and raise questions 🤔 if the full truth is being given. If the full truth is even being given by those who we put our trust in (and by that, I mean here on Earth), making it all the more important to have that Blessed Assurance🙏 and to look out for one another. It is why Jesus commands us to love ❤️ and to treat each other equally. Christ wants us united 💕 but this world system wants us divided 💔

Coronavirus. Listening to the Queen's Speech, Her Majesty 👑 spoke of what kept people apart actually had the opposite effect. To an extent that is true BUT from the conspiracy theorists and anti Lockdown rallies that this is all a lie - we are disunited at a time that we should not. Such as the fresh talks of an Independence Referendum in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 however your feelings towards this may be, now is not the time 🕰️

This isn't the only example.....as we cast our minds back to the year of open eyes (2👁️2👁️) to George Floyd (RIP) and the justified displeasure at the treatment of the Black Community 🖤. What makes this worse?! How susceptible the Black Community is to Coronavirus. It is only by treating people equally irrespective of race or gender, all the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010, that the world 🌍 can become a better place, can become united and can allow us to live long and prosper! 

🖖🖖🏻🖖🏼🖖🏽🖖🏾🖖🏿

What has also been significant in causing division has been Brexit. However I will hone in on what I mean 🔎 that Brexit itself is not the problem, but lack of respect. Let's just consider a family eating dinner at Christmas, all able to sit down and eat together, but do we start throwing knives and forks because one wants turkey 🦃 and one wants fish 🐠. PLEASE forgive me those of you who have followed the negotiations, purely an example 😂 to emphasise the ridiculous display from our political elite. However a more wide analogy is being in a restaurant and you order fish 🐠 BUT you get crab 🦀 instead! You want what you asked for, right?!

Just as we didn't want BRINO; Brexit in Name only ❌ Neither do we want EINO; Equality in Name only ❌

If we had respect for ethnic minorities, would we have injustices and racism?

If we had respect for gender, would we have misogyny and sexism? 

If we had respect for people's vote 🗳️, would we seek to overturn the result or storm the Capital? Yes I'm being blunt!

Why?! Because there is a better way! and that is why I challenge you. I need you to understand because with God's unconditional agape love, I love you ❤️ and God wants us to love one another [John 15:12] whether you believe him or not! 

You know what's more? God don't want us divided 💔. He says himself that any Kingdom 🏰 any City 🏙️ any House 🏡 that divides against itself will not stand [Matthew 12:25] - is God a liar? Is that not true, even taking this from a human perspective? If you are reading this as an atheist or agnostic, you can follow this principle + the principle of Divide and Conquer? This is what the enemy at work is doing! 

This is the biggest con today and we have even our politics to fan the flames 🔥 for that. Left VS Right, Republican VS Democrat, Labour VS Conservatives, Trump VS Biden

I opened this article addressing the fact how we are biologically and socially connected with history. We face different problems but in one way or another, history gets repeated 💫. You would think by 2020 that we would have learnt our lesson by now, but have we? or are we too proud puffing up our chest 🥇 that it's the 21st Century now and things are different?

Let's think of politics for a moment....

Here in the UK, we recognise the Conservatives and Labour. However in the 17th Century, the two main parties were the Whigs and Tories, whose ancestral 'fathers' were the Roundheads and Cavaliers in the English Civil War in defence of Parliament and the King respectively. The two political parties were more political factions as the ERG (European Research Group) in a bipartisan attitude to the business of Government. In the National Interest, a bipartisan attitude is one that unites Parliament and we only see glimpses of this today 😢

However, we are locked 🔐 into the same historical rhetoric, evident by colloquially calling the Conservatives 'the Tories' 😜 The clue is staring us right in the face, how each election is choosing a side and provoking verbal combat from the other. Same with the US of those who did vote Trump with those who did not, leading to the conclusion that the Civil War has not entirely been fizzled out.

Q: When will it end?

When we change 🤷‍♂️ when we reform and not ❌ conform to what it is that we want, neither the status quo that we 'must' accept. We do not have to!

Leading me to the scripture that came to me in John 1:38-39 when I prayed 🙏 about this. Reading it literally, it seems to be that John and Andrew want to know where Jesus is staying, because they want to be with him. I don't dispute that. However, with the understanding that the Greek word used for 'dwell' also means 'abide' and 'stay', the question also could be translated as 'where do you stand?'. These disciples after all are coming to Jesus, recognising him as Rabbi, as Master and Teacher.... and what is HIS response?

"Come and See" 

(Repeat with me)

Israel itself was divided in political factions between the Conservative Pharisees and Liberal Sadducees, both questioned Jesus' teaching. What did Jesus do? He commended them when they did right 👍but was critical of them when they did wrong 👎 [Matthew 23]. He did not ❌ plant his flag 🚩 in the Pharisee camp and neither the Sadducee camp.

So what is my point?

Jesus led by example. He remained true to his beliefs without contamination and avoided picking sides. He saw virtue when there was virtue and error when there was error YET how alienated are we in the world when we are forced to pick a side and get off the fence?! 

Christ's answer? Come and see

Let his actions, his beliefs, his life do the talking. His life being awe inspiring that many followed his footsteps 👣, as should we. When the times and the seasons are all under Heaven/him 😌

Someone ask you whose side you are on? Someone ask where you stand? Don't be forced into choosing a side, but invite them to see what you believe and let your life and your values do the talking.

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God Bless us all 🙏 as I apologise for such a weighty read but I felt it important to set the record straight and set forth the template each article will go by. I don't know who will read this and they may be influenced by what side I am on. I pray that that question is now answered and that you find rest in your soul. ❤️