Meaning

True contentment comes as we recognize that God is with us - we can seek fulfillment in what the world has to offer, but He has so much more for us to experience in Him. 1st Timothy 6 states:
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

When we consider what is going on around us, we can be satisfied in our all-sufficient God who is in us. He enables us to walk in His presence and to know His love.  He has declared us to be righteous and holy in His sight - right with Him - and that can bring a deep sense of meaning and satisfaction to us. Even in our most discouraging times, we can look to Him and know that He is with us and will bring comfort to our souls. 

+++++

We can be joyful in the presence of the Lord, who brings a sense of purpose to our lives. 1st Peter 1 states:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

When you consider that there have been well over 500 thousand deaths in America alone attributed to the COVID-19 virus and think about how our lives have been shifted so dramatically during this past year, it could become an opportunity to really consider what's important in life.  And, we have seen stories of how people have drawn closer to God during this time, perhaps even giving their hearts to Christ.

A LifeWay Research study, the subject of a recent ChristianHeadlines.com article, focuses in on the things that are really important, such as the meaning of life and what comes next, after we leave this earth.  The article said that the survey "found that 57 percent of U.S. adults during the pandemic say they ponder, at least monthly, the question, 'How can I find more meaning and purpose in my life?' In 2011, it was 51 percent.  21% related that they think about that topic on a daily basis.  The survey also found:

- 81 percent agree there is an “ultimate purpose and plan for every person’s life.” But the percentage who strongly agree with the statement has decreased, from 50 percent in 2011 to 44 percent today.

- 59 percent agree with the statement, “I have found a higher purpose and meaning for my life.”

But, in what could be considered a startling turn, fewer American adults are sure of what occurs after we die.  The article states:

Only 43 percent of adults “strongly agree” that “there is more to life than the physical world and society.” In 2011, 67 percent agreed with that statement. Forty-two percent “somewhat agree” with the statement – an increase from 21 percent in 2011.

Interestingly enough, the percentage of those who say they "wonder daily" if they will go to heaven has doubled in the past decade - from 8 percent in 2011 to 15 percent in September 2020, when this survey was taken.

The executive director of the research organization, Scott McConnell, says this: “In the midst of such a discouraging season, fewer Americans are convinced there is something more to this life than their daily activities,” adding, “A large majority still lean toward there being an ultimate purpose for a person’s life, but instead of escaping the pandemic with thoughts of something greater, far fewer strongly hold such a view. A growing number of Americans have become open to the idea that this might be as good as it gets.”

But, that may be true - for some - by their own choice.  The Bible teaches us to be content regardless of the circumstances that we face, and that sense of contentment can result from the hope and anticipation of what God wants to do in our lives.  We can have purpose even amidst negative surroundings.  We can walk in joy even though we struggle.  It's the presence of God in our hearts that makes the difference.

A life with meaning and purpose flows out of how we stand with our Maker.  Many have experienced, what has been termed, "dis-ease," in the middle of disease and death and hearts are tentative. But, if we stand with Christ, we can experience His strength and walk in His triumph.

There is certainly more than what we experience with our senses in this world - there is another world; for the Christian, we have the promise of a new world to come, a place that Jesus has in store for us.  That promise of heaven can also add meaning to our lives here on earth, as we realize that we have eternal hope in Him.

(Don't) Help Me to Hate

The Bible teaches us that we are to respond in love to one another and pursue a path of peace. Romans 12 provides some direction in living at peace with others:
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

It is so easy to get caught up in the bad things in this world - we can become disgruntled and even disoriented; we can become so fed up that we respond in anger instead of the love of Christ, which overcomes the desire to lash out and to retaliate.  We have to check ourselves to make sure that we are not being controlled by anger, rather than controlled by the Spirit of God, who gives us the capacity to love and to see people the way God sees them.

+++++

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught about how to regard those whom we regard as our enemies - I don't believe that "groups" of people are our enemies, as society will attempt to cause us to think, but that we can be specific in our response toward those who are truly against us. Matthew 5 states:
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Our prayer life can consist of a number of elements: there is confession of sin, praying in repentance, bringing requests before the Lord for ourselves and others in intercession.  We can pour out our hearts to God and we can ask Him to change our hearts.  But, we have to be careful to pray in accordance with Scripture.  

The practice concerning enemies throughout Scripture is to love our enemies and to allow the Lord to do His work in conflicted situations.

I see no Scriptural precedent for asking God to "help me to hate" anyone.  Yet, a book of prayers that was put together by a relatively well-known Christian author includes a so-called "prayer" that says this, according to ChristianHeadlines.com.

“Dear God, Please help me to hate White people. Or at least to want to hate them. At least, I want to stop caring about them individually and collectively. I want to stop caring about their misguided, racist souls, to stop believing that they can be better, and they can stop being racist..."

Great - so you have this "prayer" contributed by psychologist and minister Chanequa Walker-Barnes in the book, A Rhythm of Prayer, that 1) calls on God to help her hate a particular group of people and 2) describes their souls - all of them - as "misguided" and "racist."  

The article states:

The book, A Rhythm of Prayer, is the No. 1 book in Amazon’s Christian Meditation & Devotion Section and is also available in Walmart’s Christian Life/Prayer section and Target’s Religion/Beliefs section.

The response was amplified when a Virginia pastor posted on Twitter a picture of a page from the book that had been sent to him; he said, "This kind of thinking is a direct result of CRT and is completely anti-biblical..."

The article states that the author...

...adds that the White people she wants to hate are the “Fox News-loving, Trump-supporting voters who ‘don’t see color’ but who make thinly veiled racist comments about ‘those people.’ The people who are happy to have me over for dinner but alert the neighborhood watch anytime an unrecognized person of color passes their house. The people who welcome Black people in their churches and small groups but brand us as heretics if we suggest that Christianity is concerned with the poor and the oppressed.”

Sorry, you don't get the right to hate - anyone.  A response to the pastor's tweet indicated that somehow this was in line with "imprecatory" prayers that we find in the Scriptures.  But, keep in mind that this prayer is directed at an entire people-group, not all of whom might be remotely considered this person's "enemies."

Sarah Bessey put this book together apparently; she and other contributors to this volume issued a statement in support of the prayer, defending the writer by saying:

She praises God for protection, for the call to be “an agent in your ministry of justice and reconciliation.” She names the beloved community who continue to call her to rise to the call of love, not hate.

Dr. Walker-Barnes is demonstrating the Biblically-based call towards loving our neighbours as Jesus said, in real time. This beautiful, powerful prayer is modelled on the Psalms of lament and anger, often called imprecatory Psalms, found in the Bible.

Bessey's social media links for Facebook and Twitter no longer work; her Instagram is now private.  She is the author of a number of books, including Jesus Feminist, and a co-founder, along with the late progressive author Rachel Held Evans, called "Evolving Faith," which seems to be an initiative that would be best described as devoted to Christian deconstruction.  On its website, there is this statement: "Evolving Faith exists to cultivate love and hope in the wilderness, pointing fellow wanderers and misfits to God as we embody resurrection for the sake of the world." Bessey describes her faith journey like this:

My faith tradition is of the happy-clappy, low-church charismatic flag-waving variety but after time spent during my own deconstruction with everyone from Anglicans to Mennonites to Nones-and-Dones, I'm best described as ecclesiastically promiscuous—I just love everybody.

Including a fellow author whom she accommodates and defends is asking God to help her hate white people.  That's inconsistent.

Truth is, the enemy has been successful in the Church and outside the Church in sowing seeds of division. So many no longer see others as individuals made in the image of God, but as members of certain people groups.  God made us different, but His intent is not for us to be divided.  So, we can examine our views on race through this prism:  are we agents of true reconciliation or are we perpetuating division?  This so-called "prayer" certainly doesn't contribute to the fulfillment of the powerful words of Scripture that tell us to love your neighbor as yourself and to love your enemies.  

We can adopt the posture of praying for our enemies.  Ultimately, we can pray that all would come to a saving knowledge of Christ.  We can also adopt the posture of acquiring a more loving attitude toward people who are different than we.  That involves a change of heart and a conformity to the teachings of Scripture.

People as Property

The Bible teaches the concept that we are to regard people as those who are made in the image of God. We are called to walk in the love of Christ and to have compassion on those who are being oppressed. 2nd Corinthians 5 tells us:
14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16a Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.

Treating another person as property is a violation of the love of God.  Yet, there are millions today who are being bought and sold through the practice of human trafficking.  This practice does not uphold the worth of the individual and is incredibly damaging to people mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We have come to bring the light - to shine light on abhorrent practices and to allow the love and light of the Lord to flow through us by the Holy Spirit into the dark places.

+++++

The Bible addresses the concept of the dignity and worth of the individual - and all people should be 
loved just as Christ has loved us. The display of His love can win people to come to Him. The book of James has some good words for us about respecting others, including this passage in James 3:
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

The concept of people as property certainly violates the Biblical principle of accepting a person for who he or she is, not because of what that person does, recognizing that person is a creation of Almighty God. Unfortunately, there are scores of people today who are being transported from place to place. 

The Christian Post published a story recently focused in on human trafficking in the state of Georgia, in light of the deaths of eight people at the hands of a shooter who had apparently frequented massage parlors in the Atlanta area. The article says:

Illicit businesses masquerading as massage parlors or spas are the second-largest reported form of human trafficking in the United States. With 9,000 establishments across the country, it's a booming $2.8 billion industry for those who prey on vulnerable women, the advocacy group Street Grace has warned.

The article included comments from Street Grace President and CEO Bob Rodgers. It says, "Rodgers explained how traffickers often lure young Asian women to the U.S. with the promise of a better life and the ability to support their families back home."  The report continues:

“They get here, and they immediately find out they are here on false pretenses. They were misled,” he said.

Traffickers then use a series of physical threats and deception to trap them, he said. The women are often in debt bondage after accumulating high debts during their passage to the U.S., which forces them to engage in illicit activity to earn money.

The Christian Post points out:

Though massage parlors are often legitimate, these businesses are sometimes a front for brothels, sex trafficking and illegal sexual activity. Rodgers warned that they fly under the radar.

And, the reportedly chaotic situation at the border of the U.S. and Mexico is a reminder of human trafficking that occurs there.  CBN.com states:

Human smugglers are increasingly turning to the social media giant Facebook to fuel false hopes in migrants about immigrating to the U.S.

NBC News reports they openly promise a "100 percent" safe journey and encourage people that the Biden administration will welcome them.

The New York Post reports: "Criminal cartels that are trafficking families, women, children and single adults over the southern border earned as much as $14 million a day in February..."  A retired Border Patrol chief told Fox News, according to the article:

“A lot of these vulnerable populations use their life savings. Some are essentially indentured servants and they’re working off this debt for a long period of time. In other cases, some of these migrants are asked to transport narcotics or some form of crime to work off a different part of their debt..."

There is certainly an impressive lineup that is involved in fighting what is being called "modern-day slavery."  The aforementioned Street Grace is involved, but so is Samaritan's Purse, the Tim Tebow Foundation, A21, and others.  The Tebow Foundation website says that there are over 40 million people who are enslaved today.

This has become quite a major emphasis among Christians and Christian organizations and there are a number of different ways to address the problem.  There is involvement with actually rescuing those who are being trafficked; then there is the strategy to cut off the demand and to isolate the "buyers," if you will.  Imagine that - people being bought and sold...as property. 

There is no "one size fits all" solution.  And, that is so true with so many issues.  We have to find our own place and execute the mission God gives to us.  Together, as the body of Christ, walking in the wisdom of God, we can be used to inject that wisdom into troubling situations.

Wild Horse

When our lives feel like they're spiraling out of control, we can place ourselves under the control of the Holy Spirit; that's where we need to be consistently. In 1st Corinthians 9, we can read:
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

Verse 25 says in another translation: "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things."  

There are certain things that we think we can control in life, but human wisdom is inadequate for navigating this life in the way God would intend.  We can try to control ourselves, but we need the power of the Holy Spirit in order that we might live a life of surrender.  We can try to control others, but that path is certainly one of disappointment.  We need to relinquish control of our lives and place Christ first so that we might do His will.

+++++

In Philippians 1, Paul, a man whom you could say was out of control as he persecuted the church and who was brought under the control of Christ, is writing to the church at Philippi, sharing how he is thankful as he remembers them, and in that chapter, he writes:
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Anthony Thomas grew up in Australia and wanted to be a cowboy.  He developed a love for wild horses and in a sense was a wild horse who needed to be tamed.

That's according to a GodReports.com story about Anthony's journey that includes material from CBN.  Anthony's parents tried prescription meds to control him and ended up sending him to a boarding school. At school, he landed a job working with "unbroken" horses. The article says that he related to CBN, “They were confused and they had used their defense mechanisms to protect themselves and I could definitely relate to them in every way..."

He learned to "break" them and learned to ride them - he started to compete in rodeos and especially liked bareback riding.  The article says that Anthony was considered one of the "top 15 bareback riders" in the world.  But, even amidst that high level of achievement in the world of rodeo, his life was far from winning: he degenerated into the party lifestyle, which left him empty inside.

But, a lady named Amanda, who is now his wife, invited him to church. There, he had an encounter with God.  The God Reports article says that he experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in a profound way. He said, "I started crying, didn’t know where it come from. And God was just speaking to me and it was an undeniable sense of conviction.”  The article adds, "Anthony repented of his sins and received Jesus as his Lord and Savior."

The story also says:

While Anthony trained wild horses to trust him, now he sees the necessity of fully trusting God. “God prepared me to be a professional bareback rider just because I need to trust the Lord and the Holy Spirit’s plan 100 percent, surrendering to the Lord. Then it’s not up to me what happens.”

Thomas also speaks of the topic of "platform," saying, "Every one of us has a platform right where they are and teach them about the love of Jesus. No matter what – there’s a God that’s always there for you, that has more for you than you could ever imagine."

I came up with three principles that we can take to heart, based on Anthony's story.  First of all, we have to learn to see ourselves practically.  Thomas saw himself in the wild horses that he tried to tame and ride.  We can allow the Holy Spirit to show us our strengths and weaknesses and direct us in relying on His strength.

Which leads to the second thing: we can learn to see our potential in Christ.  We can be confident in who we are in Christ and anticipate who He is making us to be.  We can indeed do all things through Christ who gives us strength, and know that He is at work in us.

We can also learn to embrace our platform.  Anthony Thomas gets that concept now - he sees that God has a purpose for him and that he has placed him in rodeo competition in order to give glory to Him. He has great things in store if we are willing to allow Christ to express Himself through us.

What Message?

Even though we may find ourselves beset by negativity and fear, yet believers in Christ can be devoted to relating God's story of redemption and peace through Him. Titus 2 states:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...

Rejoice!  The grace of God is here, and Christ has come with salvation for everyone!  What an incredible message that we have been entrusted to share.  In a world that communicates to us fear and death, we can reach out in faith to our Lord and recognize the hope and clarity that He gives. We can also look for ways we can communicate that message of restoration and reconciliation to others.  Because Jesus has come, those who come to Him can find salvation and the healing of our relationship with God.

+++++

We can have hope in the Lord, and our words and the way we live should display the hope that we have through salvation. 1st Peter 1 encourages us to adopt this posture:
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

One of the more popular videos on the Faith Radio YouTube channel is a conversation with John Lennox and Kevin Sorbo, who teamed up to make the movie, Against the Tide, which is now available through AgainstTheTide.movie.  It's a movie centered around an ardent defender of truth, Oxford professor John Lennox and the narrator and interviewer in the film, actor Kevin Sorbo.

Kevin and wife Sam have acquired a reputation as communicators of God's truth.  And, a recent Christian Post article opens up this way:

Actors Kevin and Sam Sorbo say the media played a "pivotal role" in helping to get abortion legalized nationwide in 1973 and encouraged Christians to use new media to combat the lies and censorship of today's mainstream press and big tech.

The couple was interviewed at a premiere of the Roe vs. Wade movie, and Sam is quoted as saying, "Media tells the story and stories are compelling and they're convicting. But they're also very convincing,” adding, “You'll see in the movie, the media played the pivotal role in this whole saga, telling a lie, a story about a young woman that was an outright lie. Then perpetuating this myth that it's not a human being, that it's a clump of cells, that the young woman will never have to think about it again. All of these other stories that they tell, and none of which are true.”

Kevin, who has found himself banned from Facebook, offers encouragement in fighting media censorship and misinformation, saying: "We got to fight back...," even though people have the opinion that "media owns everything" and respond with apathy.  Sorbo adds, "I think we just got to raise our voice and be a little more strong...We have to have the same passion...without the hate and anger and divisiveness. We just have to have the same strong passion.”

So, he, like his wife, Sam, and his friend, Professor Lennox, is devoted to speaking truth.  And, so should we, in the way that God directs.  The Sorbos also do that through movies.  Kevin, in fact, is featured in a new film called, The Girl Who Believes in Miracles, which is described by ChristianHeadlines.com:

...telling the story of a young girl in a small town who hears her pastor preach about faith and begins praying for miracles – both big and small. God heals multiple people, sparking attention from both the community and the media.

Kevin Sorbo, who plays the role of a doctor in the film, states, "I think what this movie shows is that we need the faith of a child. We need that innocence," adding, "Because as we get older ... I think a lot of people just become jaded, and they just sort of give up and don't pay attention. I think miracles happen every day. Just because you're not walking in water, it can still be a miracle. How many times have you read stories about doctors saying, 'It's a miracle. I don't know how they survived; they should have died'?"

Sorbo says that he thinks more movies with a "positive message" should be made, and relates, "I like movies that deal with redemption," adding, "I think that that's the biggest thing we need in the world right now, more than anything else. People with all their anger and hate – I think a lot of it comes from the fact that they feel lost and have nowhere to turn to. Redemption is a great message out there for people, and this movie offers it."

There are several considerations as we think on what the Sorbos are saying about the messages that are being disseminated.  First of all, we can reflect on what we are doing to communicate the accurate message of the gospel.  That's why personal study and exposure to strong Bible teaching are important, so that we might be built up in our walk with God.

Our walk should be characterized by faith and hope rather than fear and despair.  We should be joyful in our demeanor and reflect a love for Christ and for others.  We will encounter suffering in our life, but we can reach out to God in order that we might experience His joy in the midst of it. 

We can also consider whether or not our demeanor causes people to want to know our Savior. We are called and empowered to reflect His light, and the presence of Jesus through us can be used by Him to draw people to Him.  We can be cognizant of the power and opportunity to communicate His truth with compassion and conviction.

After the Pandemic

The apostle Paul had been informed about the expression of the love of Christ through the people of the church of Colosse, and this motivated him to pray in this way...
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God...

This is the model, a picture painted by Paul, of what the Christian life ideally should be.  We have the capacity to be "fully pleasing Him," which involves being fruitful - that comes as we abide in Christ and allow Him to produce fruit through us to the glory of God.  Even in affliction - and the Church has certainly had its share in the past year - we can recognize that God has been and is still moving and desires to show Himself faithful to and through His people.

+++++

In the book of 2nd Peter, chapter 3, the writer encourages believers to be steadfast in the Lord and devoted to growing spiritually. Peter writes:
(15) ...consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Even though there is great optimism that the end of the coronavirus is approaching, still there will be months until we reach the point of normalcy or a new normalcy.  And, what will the Church look like at that time?

I remembered my conversation with Arnie Cole last year about that topic. He is the CEO of Back to the Bible and Director of Research for the Center for Bible Engagement.  In a press release issued last May, there were the three main areas listed that his organization anticipated that churches would face:

(1) a dip in weekly worship attendance among regular weekly attenders, (2) an increase in online attendance when the pandemic ends, and (3) an increase in traffic from occasional attenders.

The release gives this background on those three projections:

Cole has learned from earlier congregation studies that 60 to 80% of the people sitting in the pews on a given Sunday are people who attend every week. The remaining 20 to 40% do so at most once or twice a month. "With this in mind we anticipate that many churches will see a dip in weekly worship attendance, post-pandemic, and those with the highest concentrations of regular weekly attenders will see the largest decreases," he explains. "But on the positive side, churches can expect to see a portion of their occasional attenders more often."

The report included a number of statistics; for instance, it states: 

Cole reports that 68% are participating in online worship services during the lock down period. Most (77%) anticipate that their church attendance will be the same after the pandemic. A minority (16%) expect to attend more often and 7% anticipate attending less. Considering the data for both regular and occasional attenders, most churches can expect a decrease in attendance and a high percentage of people who used to attend only occasionally.

One of the key points: "Among those who attended church in person before, 21 to 44% expect to watch more online when the pandemic ends."

Again, this is a projection.  I acknowledge that conditions have perhaps changed since this survey last year. And, while these may contribute to the formation of a model for anticipating what could occur, our churches have strategic decisions that they will have to make.  Surviving COVID is one thing, but how to move forward is something else entirely, and our church leaders need prayer and the direction of the Holy Spirit. 

But, there is certainly ministry opportunity here - one of the interesting points of Cole's research is that there is the anticipation that the more infrequent worship attendees may come back to a stronger degree.  That being said, then it's important to establish communication in order to move them from infrequent to frequent.  That's really a challenge for all churches, isn't it?  The church certainly grows by adding members through conversion, but involving members in greater levels of participation and discipleship becomes a challenge.  

Personally, we can also consider how we move forward and grow in our Christian life.  None of us should be standing still - otherwise, as it's been pointed out, the currents of this world will cause us to drift backward.  We can increase our participation in the things of God, exhibiting spiritual growth, and if we have lost ground during the pandemic, it's a good time to reclaim our position and grow deeper.

Freedom and Retaliation

Human beings have been given incredible opportunities and choices - God Himself has granted us a free will and He does not coerce us to follow Jesus. But, He has certainly offered us the opportunity to do so, and it is absolutely the best way to live! 2nd Corinthians 3 says:
16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We have freedom in Jesus Christ: we have been set free from the power of sin and have been brought under the power of God's Spirit, enabling us to walk in righteousness.  Because we know Christ, we can be known for our devotion to upholding the dignity of the individual, supporting the right to life and being purveyors of Biblical justice.  We should place the needs of others above ourselves, but not to support wrong choices - we can lovingly show the mercy of Christ to those who choose not to follow Him.

+++++

We can be vigorous defenders of religious liberty, as defined by the Scriptures, and be bold in speaking out. Galatians 5 tells us:
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

By now you've probably heard about the story that has shaken the sports world and revealed an uncomfortable intersection of sports and politics.  Georgia lawmakers, like legislators in other states, passed a bill that, as Governor Kemp said makes it "easier to vote and harder to cheat."  Georgia is one of the so-called battleground states in which allegations of improprieties in the 2020 election were circulated.  This new law includes a voter ID provision.

Leaders in the political, corporate, and sports worlds were quick to criticize the bill, and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the 2021 All-Star Game scheduled for Atlanta would be moved.  This is ironic because some of the more visible critics of the bill have now brought economic retribution on themselves and their state.  Self-inflicted punishment.

It's been speculated that all this hullabaloo has been perpetrated in order to gin up support for HR1, the so-called "For the People Act," which would essentially federalize the U.S. election system.  

But, Cobb County, Georgia, where the site of the game was to be, anticipates it could lose $100 million in revenue as the result. So, there are real negative consequences.

So, is there a faith angle here - absolutely, when you consider the hypocrisy that has been pointed out - it is no secret that American sports leagues, such as the NBA and MLB, are intent on expanding their footprint to Communist China.  You may remember that back in 2019, when an NBA team executive spoke out in favor of Hong Kong's moves toward democracy, the Chinese government retaliated against the Association. 

The government of China has certainly shown their disdain for Christians and others, such as the Muslim, Uyghurs, who dare to embrace a worldview that is different than the state-sanctioned one.  But, punishing an American state, with the blessing of the President, seems to be more important than trying to get China to change its position on human rights, with real people facing persecution for their faith.

A Washington Examiner piece summarizes the situation well:

China, after unleashing a global pandemic, carrying out a genocide, and rendering Hong Kong voters' voices meaningless? They don't really seem to care.

It adds that the President has "led the way" on the All-Star Game situation, and states, "Apparently, expanding voting opportunities in Georgia is boycott-worthy, but China’s genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang is not such a big deal. China hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics, and Biden remains unable even to threaten a boycott over human rights."

And, FoxNews.com highlighted the hypocrisy, amplified by a case of bad timing:

Major League Baseball is protesting a democratically passed Georgia voting law while bolstering ties with a Communist Party-backed Chinese company that cracked down on an NBA executive who supported the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Senator Marco Rubio tweeted out in response:

"@MLB caves to pressure & moves draft & #AllStarGame out of Georgia on the same week they announce a deal with a company backed by the genocidal Communist Party of #China," he tweeted. "Why are we still listening to these woke corporate hypocrites on taxes, regulations & anti-trust?"

John Stonestreet pointed out in a Breakpoint commentary last year:

Beijing’s treatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang Province qualifies, in every way, as genocide. Writing in Newsweek, Israeli Human Rights Lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky didn’t hesitate to call the Communist Party’s actions “genocide,” pointing especially to the “forced sterilizations, abortions and intrusive birth prevention.” These actions alone meet the requirement for genocide and have led to “the population growth rates in the two largest Uyghur prefectures [to fall] by 84% between 2015 and 2018.”

But there’s more.

According to the State Department, “Over a million Uighurs have now been detained by China in camps, where they are starved, abused, tortured, electrocuted, raped and even killed.” Recent video footage showed “Uighurs, with heads shaven, being blindfolded, shackled and herded onto trains, headed for these camps.”

Unfortunately, criticism of the Chinese government may be on its way to becoming unacceptable speech - in light of reported violence against Asian-Americans, and judging from the harsh response against former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for a tweet last weekend pointing out MLB's and other corporations' hypocrisy concerning China, will it eventually be regarded as racist to be critical of China?  

And, for those concerned with religious freedom, consider how the current Administration is now pulling back on the worldwide religious freedom principles put in place by the previous Administration, essentially equating religious freedom with so-called "reproductive freedom," which offers no rights to the unborn baby?  I guess you could laud China for its devotion to this type of "freedom," considering its one-child policy that was in place for many years?

Faithwire reports:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will restructure America’s top priorities around the globe in order to focus on more progressive and liberal pet issues, such as abortion and LGBTQ activism.

Friendly descriptions of the shift in focus can be found throughout the media, such as characterizing issues conservatives champion (like religious freedom) as opposed to human rights.

And, two U.S. representatives from a religious freedom body were sanctioned recently from traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macao, according to CNBC.com:

The Chinese sanctions target the chair and vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Gayle Manchin and Tony Perkins. The USCIRF has condemned China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population in Xinjiang and endorsed recent U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials.

Even this was a bridge too far for Secretary of State Blinken.  The CNBC reports said:

The U.S. condemned the sanctions in a late Saturday statement released by the State Department, calling the measures “baseless.”

It's a crazy world in which we live in which the First Amendment principle of religious freedom is considered equal to the mythical woman's right to take the life of a baby.  Or to engage in the sinful behavior of homosexuality.  The tendency is to lash out in anger or retaliation, which is counterproductive; but, we can and should express our convictions when freedom is under assault and "rights" are being turned upside down.

Fact is, we should always find ourselves on the side of being a champion for true human rights - when defined in the right way as determined by the Scripture.  We should be in favor of racial harmony and Biblical justice, but we should not be involved in assigning racial motives when none exist. To require an ID in order to vote is not a racist act, and recent polling data shows Americans of a variety of races support it.  Untruths should not be cloaked under a false racial curtain.  The Washington Examiner reports that: "New polling shows that a large majority supports voter ID laws that require individuals to show a photo identification before voting, including almost 70% of black voters." In mid-March, the website reported:

The poll, released on Wednesday by Rasmussen Reports, found that 75% believe photo identification should be presented before voting and that 69% of black voters support voter ID laws.

We should be concerned about preserving the right to vote and upholding election integrity. We should be concerned about the right to life of an unborn baby to. And, we can defend the right to religious liberty: for people to practice their faith without fear of persecution.