Spring brings storms. Tornadoes are a frequent occurrence in our midwest home. I have mentioned previously my stepfather’s habit of escaping a bad thunderstorm by proclaiming in the deep night, ‘Let’s run to the car…and Jay bring Cheetah!’ Now Cheetah did not like the sight of me and regularly let me know by her upturned lip and the revealing of several sharp cannine teeth and a low ominous growl. I first did not understand the wisdom of getting in a little car and hoping to outrun a fast-moving tornado nor did I want Cheetah to join me in the fool’s errand…

So it goes with today’s quest to excuse and defend politically powerful people to say whatever hurtful thing that they choose about anyone who tangentially ends up in the crosshairs of their hate speech.

Truth has become fiction and fiction is now lauded as the truth. I grew up hearing about the Antichrist. There was a great fear that this individual would be so mysterious and wise like a serpent and difficult to detect by even the wisest men and women that he would deceive all that listened to him. Somehow in this future deceiver, the message of Christ and his walk of humility and peace would be changed by the AC and the people of the distant future would never know when it happened it would be so insidious…

Jesus never spoke much about money…’ Render unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasars and unto God the things that are Gods.’ He mentioned that he had nowhere to lay his head. Today the goal is money and the more the better…as a blessing from God for doing his will. Again, in my youth, I read Fox’s Book Of Martyrs which discussed the countless Christians who were killed simply for their belief in Christ. I suppose they did not get the ‘Money Message!’

A Mob is a scary thing. Palm Sunday illustrated the love at the moment the people had for Christ riding on a donkey through the streets of Jerusalem as they lay palm leaves in front of his path. A few days later they cried crucify him…and chose the murderer Barabbas instead of the Messiah who they had lauded as their king a few days before…what happened…