While reading through news and opinion on Twitter‒not my best idea‒I read one comment in a thread that said Putin didn’t have any right to invade Ukraine. The original poster replied that “they had a DisneyLand state of mind.”
That got me thinking about how things are and how we would like them to be—the latter points to a longing for how it should be.
Look at our entertainment; most of the time, the protagonist wins. There may be a loss, but the hero(es) will save the day. So we’re shocked when it goes the other way. The bad guy isn’t supposed to win.
For example, two movies: Avengers: Infinity War and Stephen King’s The Mist.
In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos is collecting powerful stones that, when combined, can do anything. As a result, he plans to eliminate half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers.
He kills half of Thor’s people and The Vision to get two of the stones. He sacrifices his daughter to get another.
Thor pierces Thanos’ chest with his ax. However, it doesn’t kill him, and he snaps his fingers. You watch as characters slowly turn to dust with a haunting theme playing in the background.
They lost.
My wife refuses to watch it again.
The second movie, The Mist, has the government open up a breach to another dimension, and a mist pours out that is filled with creatures. They invade a town, and our protagonist is trapped in a grocery store with his son.
Many die from the creatures and each other.
The father and his 8-to-10-year-old son escape with an older couple. They swing by their house to find the mother dead.
They continue, and the mist seemingly has no end. Then, finally, the car runs out of gas.
Instead of being killed by the monsters, the adults come up with a plan while the boy sleeps. They have a revolver with three bullets.
Slow death or quick?
Dad shoots his son and the older couple. Then, finally, he gets out to face his end at the mercy of the monsters.
Except the freaking Army rolls up, dropping monsters like a rapper drops rhymes.
I only watched it once, years ago, and I still remember that disturbing scene.
History is like that. Full of disturbing scenes of what people can do to each other, either maliciously or in desperation. Even thinking they are doing the right thing.
I’ll read or listen to the stories and think,Come now, Jesus.
Everyone longs for a world made right or oblivion.
In the Christian worldview, the world is made new in the end.
“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.” Revelation 19:11-21
“When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.
Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:7-15
This is why I end many posts with a call to turn back in repentance.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.“
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:1-7
Don’t have a Walking Dead or DisneyLand state of mind. Have a Biblical one.
It’s going to get worse before it gets better. I’m not looking forward to it. But it will get better. A world at war will end in an eternity of peace.
A Ronin's Journey 