Catching Up on Things
Barbara’s tree—a Japanese Maple
I first began working in the East Bloc shortly after the fall of Communism—Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, etc. I was privileged to work alongside true revolutionaries and people of immense courage.
Many of you participated in this work through your financial investments and prayer. All these years later, I can report that God used our participation to influence these countries with freedom, a return to the rule of law, and the Gospel.
I loved the work, and I loved the people with whom I worked. But there wasn’t a trip where I didn’t thank God I was flying home to America, land of the free.
If you had told me in 1993 that I would be censored in 2021 for my writings, I would have laughed. If you told me then that there would be a significant trend in America to embrace a socialized version of Communism, this child of the Cold War would have scoffed.
But here we are.
Do not be deceived by the term, “Socialist.” What Progressive minds like Biden, de Blasio, AOC, Sanders, Warren, et al are advocating for is Socialism perfected, otherwise known as Communism (think Russia, China, North Korea, et al).
Critical Race Theory (CRT), as well as The 1619 Project curriculum, that the Federal government is pushing into public education and financially subsidizing is not the true history of America. These curricula are reconstituted Marxist Communism. (Click the underlined links to understand better.)
While the media declares these curricula are designed to abolish racism, here’s the stated goal by one of CRT’s primary proponents, Ibram X. Kendi: “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”
Marxism believes that the path to instituting Communism requires that systemic class warfare exist. If this class discrimination is not systemic, i.e. throughout society at all levels, then it must be created or Communism cannot be instituted.
History demonstrates that Communism does not tolerate dissent. In the last century or so, the architects of Communism have murdered/eliminated about 100,000,000 who didn’t fit the ideological model for whatever reason.
After examining Communism’s societal and human fallout for many years, I can report that Marxist ideology is the most heinous abuse of human beings ever conceived. Socialism-Communism is flattering to the human ego in that it presupposes man’s goodness. But in practice, mankind’s drive for power must justify brutality to achieve compliance.
Why Progressives are driving America toward this monstrous ideological failure, I struggle to comprehend. But take them at their word, this is exactly where they are headed.
While America is not literally sending dissident citizens to gulags, 52% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, and a staggering 77% of Republicans fear reprisal for expressing their opinion. Call it censorship or cancel culture, but don’t miss the point: the vast majority of Americans feel repressed, marginalized, dissident. So much for freedom of speech. So much for learning from the Cold War.
Conservatives, Twain, classical authors from Homer to Shakespeare, Justice Thomas, sports figures, professors, white people, and evangelical Christians are considered dissidents. Americans of every political stripe should be horrified that Twitter and Facebook permanently blocked President Trump from their platforms. Last week, Twitter blocked an individual quoting Mr. Trump.
The former President is a controversial communicator, no doubt. But when Twitter and Facebook blocked Mr. Trump’s accounts, they marginalized approximately 74,000,000 people who followed him.
To be certain of this implication, you might want to return to the earlier paragraph about how Socialist-Communists deal with dissent and ask yourself if the means justify the ends.
Last week, I wrote about the religiously motivated lawsuits brought against Dr. Päivi Räsänen, a member of Finland’s Parliament. If convicted, she faces imprisonment because her Christian convictions are in conflict with the progressive agenda of Finland’s ruling party. I received the following from her on Sunday:
Dear Preston Gillham,
Thank you so much for this very encouraging message of yours! You have such a wisdom in your words! And thank you for telling about your own experiences. Especially thankful I am for your prayer support. I wish Lord Jesus' blessing in your life!
Kind regards,
Päivi Räsänen
Personally, I find courage through this woman’s courage. Her faith in Christ bolsters mine.
Lest we forget, there are millions around the globe languishing in dungeons of torture, marginalization, and degradation for the cause of their faith. Some of my colleagues report government raids, forceful removal of children from Christian homes, torture, rape, maiming, and the elimination of Christian ministers considered dissident to an oppressive regime.
Lord Jesus! We intercede for these members of our forever family. Amen
By comparison, my censorship by Facebook (FB) is not life-altering, but it is sweeping enough to render useless the platform I spent seventeen years building. While I can still post my articles, FB throttles the number of people who see my articles as well as my ability to share what I write.
If you have a FB account and find one of my articles beneficial, please post the article to your FB. If you are of a mind, please encourage your contacts and FB friends to subscribe to my articles. Share liberally as you see fit with your contact list via email. While FB has stymied me, why should their intolerance not unleash you?! You are not blocked (yet). Go for it! Share. Repost.
You do not need to ask my permission. Provide attribution, repost, and share. It is Father’s message, not mine, per se.
Changing subjects: I thought there might be merit in mentioning a few books that I’ve enjoyed recently. A few are Christian, a couple are not. I agree with most of what is in these recommended pages, but not everything. As Dad used to say, “Eat the meat and throw out the bones.”
My friend Yolanda Cohen Stith penned Valley Life after the death of her husband, Ken. Yes, it is a book about hardship, but it is well-crafted and a compelling to read. I laughed at Yolanda’s wonderful wit, just as I do when I’m with her. Yolanda grew up in a Conservative Jewish home. I loved her perspective against this history. I recommend Yolanda’s book.
I recently returned to review Gordon MacDonald’s, A Resilient Life. It is just as wisdom-filled as it was with my first reading.
David Epstein’s Range helped me rethink how I communicate. Specifically, David helped me realize that abstract thoughts require more description and illustration than I’ve been implementing in order for them to become concrete.
My friend, Randy, mentioned that he and some buds were reading a study on Ecclesiastes by David Gibson titled, Living Life Backward. Whatever he said inspired me to pick up my phone and order the book. Two days later, the book arrived. I opened the envelope, pulled out the book, stared at the title, and muttered, “Who sent this to me—and why?” I laid it on the kitchen counter and continued working through the mail. Slowly, a vague recollection emerged of impetuously ordering the book.
I’ve now reviewed this book nine times in two years. I recommend reading a chapter. Digesting it. Then read another chapter.
In closing, we live in intense days—confusing days. Our staid institutions and customary ballasts are faltering.
To whom will you turn?
The history of our predecessors in the faith is that they looked to—fixed their eyes on—the author and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ. The story of each person listed in the great chapter on faith, Hebrews 11, is that they all trusted God and placed their confidence in Him.
Their circumstances varied wildly. Daniel believed God and was delivered from the lions’ den. Others believed God and were torn apart by the ravenous beasts.
I admit: I am unhappy with America’s trajectory. Circumstantially, I fight becoming disillusioned and discouraged—and I’m positive that every person mentioned in Hebrews 11 fought disillusionment and discouragement as well. Therefore, their stories have merit for me, for us.
Where does courage come from? What keeps a person focused?
First, as Believers, we live from another (Jesus’ life) and for others. This means that my life is not mine and that I do not live for myself.
Military minds tell us that individuals don’t give their life for a cause, per se. They lay down their life for the person next to them. This is the source of the selfless courage we celebrate in these servants of our society and culture. Isn’t this what Jesus talked about in terms of the Kingdom of God? “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
Second, courage and focus emanate from the conviction that there is more to you and to your eternal hope than this life affords. Using Moses as a case-in-point for others in the chapter, the writer of Hebrews 11 says that Moses’ resolve was that he was looking beyond—beyond Egypt, beyond the Promised Land, beyond this life. Consequently, the conviction is that this life is not all there is.
Faith applied is my definition of trust.
As our Older Brother indicated, in this world there are tribulations, battles, losses, defeats. This life espouses hope—it just can’t deliver. While believing and placing confidence in the power of Christ (faith) daily, the application of confident faith while in the midst of turmoil and disillusionment requires trust, that is: confidence in God (faith) when it appears my confidence (faith) is misplaced or foolish.
Most days, I glance through my news/media feeds and feel disconsolate. Most days, I close my app, look out the window above my desk, and say, “Father, this world is not my true home—and the circumstantial noise is confusing. I declare that my confidence is in you and you alone. Live through me. Make my trust reflective of you, I ask.
“Now Father, it is time for me to engage, to live, to be an instrument of your life and light. Midst the confusion of today’s tumult, guide me please—and help me keep my wits about me, I ask. Rock ‘n roll. Amen”
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