Pause for a short rant

I'm pausing on the According to John series today. I'll try to get back to it tomorrow.

I thought I'd offer a few comments on the invasion of Ukraine, but most of what I'm feeling about that has already been said by people far smarter than I. There have also been some pretty dumb things said and I am greatly disturbed by those that are saying them and by those that quietly support the Russian invasion.

Throughout the former guy's Presidency and in the year+ since, there has been talk of a coming civil war here in the US. I believe that the growing divide, both in the overall population and the halls of legislatures (both in the states and in Congress) is already evidence of an existing civil war. Although there has been no declaration of war and there isn't (yet) really an armed conflict, the practices that oppress our citizens and those that oppose them are most definitely engaged in battle. 
The trend towards a violent overthrow of the will of the majority grows everyday and I believe the events of Jan 6, 2020 will be repeated and expanded. There are far too many "good people" that are remaining silent as the underlying violence brews and heats up, far too many that have allowed fascism to grow in our local and federal governments and seem to support its growth world wide.

I believe the time for silently standing by is past. Choose freedom through the democratic process or choose to oppose it. Stop playing the bullshit games of the political machines. The cowardice of not taking a stand is as disgusting as those that are fighting to take the freedoms of others in order to selfishly advance their own power, privilege, and position.

I know that there are few readers that do not agree with my basic political beliefs. I would hope that most readers would agree with my beliefs in caring for one another and finding peaceful, diplomatic (we don't often use that term to describe internal disputes) solutions to our differences. Mostly, I just needed a place to vent some frustration and verbalize my disgust with the violence and oppression that seems to be growing in the world. I am most disgusted by the self-proclaimed Christians that either openly support violence or silently do nothing to oppose it.

In 1 John, the apostle writes that you cannot walk in the light of Jesus and hate your brother. He goes on to say that if you hate your brother, you are not walking with Jesus. You are walking in darkness. 
You may say that you don't hate anyone. But if you are silently allowing the oppression of others, you are as guilty and as hateful as the oppressors and you are walking in darkness with them. If we are to know the followers of Jesus by their love, we can also know those that oppose Jesus by their apathy and hate.

End rant
John