Monday, February 28, 2022

According to John, Chapter 7

 John 7

Cancel Culture in the 1st Century CE

It's a little bit odd that while as a religious book, the Bible is already restricted in schools, it's now the conservative, Bible wielding Christians that seem to censor the teachings of Jesus. 
If the teachings of Jesus were written in a modern day book and removed from the name of Jesus, conservative pastors, lay leaders, and politicians would certainly push to have such a book banned and such teachings prohibited as quickly as any CRT or LGBTQ+ affirming books and lessons.

Just as the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day used The Law and fear to control the people, today's conservative Christian leaders use the Bible and fear to control the masses, as well. 
Fear of God
Fear of judgement
Fear of hell

Fear is the tool of those that wish to control and oppress.
And fear needs to silence truth.
The leaders of the Jewish people needed to silence Jesus. They tried to say he didn't fit the prophesies about the coming Christ. In other writings they tried to convince people he was possessed by demons. They refused to acknowledge that his works were from God and good, wholesome, miraculous events.
But even among those that refuse to see truth, truth has a way of making itself known.

The guards that were sent to arrest him came back without him. When they were questioned as to why they didn't arrest him they said that no one has ever talked like he did. They found his teaching to be so compelling and so full of goodness and truth that they disobeyed their orders and refused to take him!

Truth still has its enemies today and those enemies still use fear to control people. But just as the soldiers that confronted Jesus learned they had nothing to fear from him, those that are willing to confront Jesus today will find there is nothing to fear from him.
Where fear seeks to control; Love trusts.
Love gives us the freedom to do the right thing, the good thing, the beautiful thing.
Love also gives us the freedom to be selfish, but trusts us to eventually get it right.

It is weird that I've spent most of my life being afraid of God. Today I believe that the fear of God was placed on me by religions, churches, and men that wanted to keep control of me and others like me. If you want to experience today's conservative cancel culture just speak up against a religious injustice and see how quickly you are silenced. (Ask me how I know.)

In Christ, we have the love and freedom to ask questions. 
We have the freedom to make mistakes.
We have the freedom to not be afraid.
In Christ, we are loved.
And in the love of Christ, we are compelled to love others.

John

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