The beauty, wonder and innocence of Christmas throws into sharp relief the darkness alive in our world. We are called to fight the darkness and strive toward the light. But if we don’t recognize the darkness for what it is and we suggest everything is rosy, we are deceiving and actually aiding the darkness.
Remember Screwtape, the demon in the famous Lewis novel The Screwtape Letters, advising Wormwood to get men to disbelieve the existence of demons? It is an effective means of promoting evil to suggest that all is fine and good where there is in fact major trouble.
A supplemental tactic is to accuse those of pointing out the danger as trouble-makers, divisive, extremists, exaggerators, negative, fear-mongers and the like.
That should come as no surprise. The One Whose birth we just celebrated warned us 2000 years ago “you will be hated by all for my name's sake” and even that one day we will face tribulation and death.
When they accuse you of being divisive for standing up for truth, remember that Christ said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
We cannot fail to adhere to and teach His truth on life and family even if our own family members oppose us on it, let alone our colleagues and friends. For He said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,” and warned “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
We know all too well that reporting the hard truths, exposing the uncomfortable situations is unpopular, and yet you are willing to sacrifice to make it happen. Thank you!
It often seems we’re banging our heads against a wall; no one is listening! And yet, the Saviour told us already, “And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”
So what advice does Jesus give us in these situations? “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves,” He said. Warning us also, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” And giving us the key to discerning them: “You will know them by their fruits.”
We are all called to be apostles of life in this culture of death.