The Time is Now

 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgement to begin with God's household; and it it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the Gospel of God?"

                     - 1 Peter 4:12-17

    Honestly, I'm at a lost for words. We are at a pivotal point in American -perhaps even world- history, so what are we going to do about it?

    I feel that we have two choices. One, we stand idly by and go about our lives as if this doesn't affect us. Two, we stand up for what we believe in, and spread the Gospel. While I aim to keep my political beliefs to myself, I will say that I admired Charlie Kirk for his boldness. There was never a moment where he was afraid to share the truth: the Gospel. 

    August 27, 2025. An 8-year old boy and 10-year old girl were shot dead inside a Catholic Church. Pure coincidence, and horrible luck. Families lives are forever changed, and those communities will never be the same. 

    But lets shift gears: Iryna Zarutska. An innocent girl, murdered in cold blood, left to die on a train while numerous people stood by. They watched, left, or pretended nothing happened. Maybe they thought that if they didn't engage, it wouldn't affect them. 

     I am deeply grieved by the state of everything. I just listed three examples, but truthfully, there are so many more I could name. 

    But the fact of the matter is, there is an epidemic spreading farther and quicker than we can even imagine. Sin is an illness that we're all born with, but not all are saved from. Lets face it, we live in a broken world. Horrible, sick crimes are committed every day, but it might just go right over our heads because we think "it doesn't directly affect me". You can blame it on their skin color, political beliefs, gender, socioeconomic status or a number of other variables, but the real answer is a deeply internalized type of brokenness: sin.

    Think about it: if you weren't a Christian, what type of person would you be today? If no one had ever shared the Good News, who would you be? Would you be the same, or would you be someone you don't even care to think about?

    Now is the time. Don't just say prayers kneeled on your bedroom floor, but tell your friends. Tell your family, tell everyone you know about The Good News; death may come, but it's not the end. Pray for yourself, for others, for the nation, and for the world. The truth is, it should affect you. You should feel a deep sense of remorse and worry for all the lost people, and know that when they're gone, there's no saving them or getting them back. That's it. Doomed to eternal condemnation, because they didn't know.

  I pray that the Lord would ignite a fire, an urgency within us to know that while our time is limited, we should absolutely make the most of what we have here to serve Him.