Ramblings from Retirement – Unity and Peace

Ramblings from Retirement – Unity and Peace
By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen
May 27, 2021

I watched the movie Mortal Engines the other day. It is a post-apocalyptic movie about a mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw who emerges as the only one who can stop the giant predator city London on wheels devouring everything in its path. Feral, and fiercely driven by the memory of her mother, Hester joins forces with an outcast from London along with a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head. Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved. Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns. It is a Chinese-backed film that was supposed to be a condemnation of corporate society but fails miserably on this score and instead is a perfect example of a socialistic society headed by a dictatorship. You know, just like communist China.

Surprisingly there are those who actually think that some form of socialism would be good for America. Some are waking up to the fact that socialism stifles any form that tries to say otherwise. It snuffs out individual freedom and societal liberties in the name of unity and robotic conformity.

Paul would argue against those who wanted the early church to go back to doing works instead of living by their faith in Jesus. He wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery… You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:1 & 13 NIV)” Paul knew that those who had come to God through their faith in Jesus were all unified in him. He would continue by writing that “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28 NIV)”

Unity is not found in some form of governmental control that dictates to us how we should live; it comes from within when one is changed from the inside out through the power of God. Socialism tries to become god in a person’s life through making people outwardly conform. Inside they are still the same person but just suppress their behavior because of fear. Fear of being found out, fear of violence against themselves or their families, or fear of the crowd. Believers however, Christians, are not to live in fear whether it is fear of God or of man or governments. God showed his love for us in this that while we were still sinners who did not care about God, Jesus, or even each other Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave to prove he could. “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 NIV)” Our only burden now is to come to him by faith and trust. It is in him we find unity and peace.

This article is copyrighted © 2021 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

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