"We Shall Be Free At Last"
June was an eventful month. Millions of people attended pride events and protests in America and other countries celebrating and defending our freedom, equality and inclusive love. We refuse to live in fear and silence while ICE and the military has been busy arresting and deporting people to meet their quotas. We stand up against the messages that some people are less than human and deserve to be kidnapped and thrown in cages, or that they don’t deserve rights, due process or compassion. We recognize that we now have a political prison or concentration camp in Florida that has been labeled Alligator Alcatraz. Have you seen the merch?? This is inhumane and insane.
I am having trouble getting into the Independence Day spirit this year as we are watching our country being stripped for parts and cosplaying as 1930’s Germany. I have asked a few conservative Christian friends to explain to me how the current administration’s actions, legislation and agenda are aligned with what Jesus asks of us in Matthew 25: 31-46 but all I hear is crickets(or maybe cicadas). Here is what Jesus said:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Bible also says that what is required of us is justice, mercy and humility(Micah 6:8). These are the things I want to focus on. My daughter inked my arm recently with my message to the world and myself…
I am glad to have the freedom to write here on Substack and will continue to do so as long as I am able. Substack allows many amateur and professional writers a platform to immediately share their work, which simultaneously makes a wealth of quality reading material readily accessible to readers. This is one way we can continue to share truth and love and shine lights in the dark.
Before you go explore more of the great content on Substack, please listen to this song of hope by Ray Boltz: Free At Last and join Ray, Martin and me in dreaming of a time when we will all be free.