Friday.....America.....Martin Luther And Us Today

I was watching a documentary tonight about Martin Luther on the local Christian television station. It referred to the film Luther starring Joseph Fiennes throughout. Shortly after Luther's 95 theses were nailed to the church door at the Castle Wittenburg, the peasants revolted in a mostly social conflict against feudalism. Possibly 100,000 peasants died. One of Luther's followers, Thomas Muntzer, was the main instigator and Luther condemned both Muntzer and the revolt. A while back in a blog, I tried to describe the danger of the fringe element in just about any movement of society. I used a shotgun pattern to accentuate the fewer and fewer holes in a target as it gets further from the center. I believe that we have to understand this phenomenon, if you will, if we are to stand our ground in our passionate issues of this life. For instance, we are in the throes of challenges to our philosophical, political and religious beliefs in America. Those standing in defense of the Western mind, free enterprise, the American Creed of a melting pot, true diversity, freedom and liberty, and most importantly a nation that reverences the God who blessed it, will undoubtedly be beset by problems from the fringe. We will all be lumped together and labelled as such. I'm sure that there are many liberals who really want no part of the politics and methods of their radical and socialist party leaders whose methods are deceitfully opportunist (refer to the attempt in Massachusetts to change the law on senatorial succession again to insure a new senator that is a Democrat.) There is a tension amongst conservatives that we have to deal with. The answer to this is NOT for us all to become moderate conservatives for this is just a backdoor entrance to the least passionate wing. The answer is also not an outwardly satisfying one. It's the same answer that Biblical Christians who have differences must accept and that is to examine our motives, follow our conscience in what we believe to be true and trust in God keep us together if it is His will and separate us to varying degrees if that is His will, knowing that compromising essential truth will provide bad fruit. If America is to become a God fearing nation once again, and that really only gives us the opportunity to seek His mercy, it will be His will and His actions. There was a saying among Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads that said Trust in God, and keep your powder dry, which might translate to us today in Trust in God, and prepare you heart and mind.