Taking a Stand in 2024

In the birthing pangs of this nation, taking a stand was almost a daily practice. They had no electricity, no plumbing, no cars, no central heat and air, no grocery stores, no refrigerator-freezers, and not even bathrooms! They lived off the land. They hunted and killed game for food, clothing, and warmth. They built their own homes. They retrieved buckets of water from nearby streams. There were no water filtration systems beyond strips of cheesecloth. Doctors were still in the practice of bleeding to “cure” illnesses, so they learned how to treat themselves. Today, even experienced survivalists and backpackers have specialized equipment to deal with the wild. Our forefathers and mothers did not. They might have had a few items, but when they needed something else, they made it themselves. In essence, they lived by faith every day.

England imposed taxes and restrictions on our founding fathers that made daily living in the New World even more profoundly difficult. After a time, they came to the point where they weren’t willing to put up with any more interference from a distanced and disconnected ruler. Much has been written about the life, times, and motivations for declaring their independence from the King of England and his oppressive rule.

Today our nation is facing similar threats to our freedoms:

1. Our borders are open, allowing in not only the tired and poor but also the violent and subversive. The “undocumented immigrants” are made up of quite the mix, including drug lords, rapists, child traffickers, and people who thrive on maiming and killing. The people with whom they walk and ride to our borders—those who are simply looking for a better life—know this all too well, and they feel helpless. And betrayed.
2. We also face economic strictures that choke our hopes, dreams, and retirement. We’re told which vehicles to buy and use. The poor and middle class are expected to walk or take public transportation. This works in some areas but is appallingly inappropriate for others. But the reason for the restrictions doesn’t even make sense, as they in no way serve the claim of environmental protection with batteries that leech dangerous chemicals into the ground and are not even usable in colder climes.
3. Lying and obfuscation are a way of life in the world of our government leaders. One character on a formerly popular television show put it this way: “Now I understand government! They’re grifters!”
4. Plagues are introduced into the populous, the most recent of which is the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies are now showing that these super-viral infections are intentional. Citizens have been bribed and then threatened if they didn’t take the eponymous “vaccine” to protect themselves and others. Now those who took the so-called “vaccine” but who were under little or no threat of serious injury are dying.
5. Full communities have been allowed to be torn down and burned by people who don’t understand who or what they are themselves. They’ve been lied to by the very mechanism that is supposed to keep us informed of the truth. They’ve been taught revisionist history by the public and collegiate educational system.
6. Mandatory business and church closures declared places of worship off-limits but stripper bars “essential.” Freedom of speech has become risky. Technology companies have now been shown to actively censor opinions that divert from the talking points of today’s oppressors.

Other freedoms have been assaulted, and many believe that now is the time to once again take a stand. But what does that mean? Embattlement such as the War Between the States? Defiance such as Rosa Parks’s refusal to sit at the back of the bus? Maybe. But how about we start with something a little less challenging. How about we start with the word, “No.”?

Don’t get me wrong. “No” is a powerful, and powerfully inciting, word. With every “No” there are consequences. Here are a few negative examples:

But there are also a few positive “No” examples for taking a stand in 2024:

Is taking a stand in 2024 by saying, “No” just that simple? Of course not. Life is complicated. There’s always good with the bad and bad with the good. The same goes for saying, “Yes.”

As a Christian writer who doesn’t often dabble with political themes, you might find the above a bit strange. But it isn’t. I’ve mentioned no specific party. I’ve actually been both and neither. I am, however, issue-driven when those issues cross over into God’s territory. So for my first edition of The Newsletter in 2024, I am writing to encourage each of you to take a stand in 2024. It’s actually a very Godly thing to do:

¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.” – Ephesians 6:12-14 (Tree of Life version)