A Remembrance and A Warning

The world lost a great leader this past week with the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.  The world had not witnessed a woman leader with such grits and determination since the days of Jewish Prime Minister Golda Meier.  Prime Minister Thatcher was known for her steely resolve, thus earning the name "the iron lady."  She was a steadying influence in Britain during those final days of the Cold War, working hand-in-hand with her ally and friend, President Ronald Reagan to bring about the collapse of European Communism and the restructuring of Europe.  Along with the many who praised her leadership, I have been amazed at the outpouring of vitriolic speech against her yet today, even after her passing.  Along with President Reagan, Margaret Thatcher will be remembered for her quips and quotes.  Here are just a few that have resurfaced since her death on Monday:
   "The larger the slice taken by government, the smaller the cake available for everyone."
   "To be free is better than to be unfree - always.  Any politician who suggests the opposite should be treated with suspect."
   "There is much to be said for trying to improve some disadvantaged people's lot.  There is nothing to be said for trying to create heaven on earth."
  "Of course it's the same old story.  Truth usually is the same old story."
   "Constitutions have to be written on hearts, not just paper."
And here is one of my favorites:
   "Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end.  It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."

Maggie Thatcher will be missed.  With her passing an era of bold, creative, no-nonsense leaders seems to have come to an end.  She helped to safely guide Britain and the free-world through the troubled seas of her time. 

Meanwhile, the war in Syria continues to deteriorate.  One wonders how it could deteriorate any more, but it just seems that it does.  News came this past week that Assad pulled back 20,000 Syrian forces that were stationed on or near the Golan Heights with Israel, bringing them closer to Damascus.  Israel was concerned over the vacuum that created on one of the Israel's most strategic borders.  And those concerns were legitimate as Jihadists began to assume control in the region.  Israeli leaders feared that the Golan would now be an active staging ground for terrorist attacks into Galilee.  And fears heightened with thoughts of what the Jihadists would do with Syria's massive canisters of biological and chemical weapons.  Sadly the civilian casualty counts continue to increase with little involvement of those in the West.  (Note: last week, while in Florida for a few days of sun and fun, I read Joel Rosenberg's latest novel, "Damascus Countdown."  Without giving away the plot or how the story ended, let me just say that I believe it is his best novel to date.  I was riveted with the story, especially how closely it parallels and could parallel events in the Middle East today and tomorrow.  I strongly recommend it - only be sure you have a good block of time for reading, as you will not be able to put it down).

Yesterday, a friend sent me an article from "Investor's Business Daily."  It was titled, "Has U.S. Army Declared War on Christianity?"  It was an article that renewed an inner anger at what is happening around us, all in the name of tolerance.  An atheist U.S. soldier, stationed at Forward Operation Base Orgun-E in Afghanistan, made a formal complaint about the steeple and crosses on a chapel on the base.  A spokesman for the ISAF Joint Command said, "We can confirm that those items were removed from the chapel.  These items were removed out of respect for the beliefs of other faiths."  The writer of the article then stated, "Excuse us, but Christian American soldiers have died in Afghanistan protecting Muslims, just as they died in Iraq.  Americans put their lives at risk in Bosnia to protect Muslims, and the notion that a cross on a chapel on a battlefield where Americans put their lives on the line is interpreted as a reincarnation of the Crusades is, to put it charitably, nonsense.  Mosques dot the American landscape and we were told that to put a Muslim 'cultural center,' a mosque by a different name - within walking distance of where terrorists brought down the World Trade Center - was a symbol of tolerance.  We are also told a cross on a chapel at an Army base is offensive to Muslims.  Tolerance, it seems, is a one-way street."  The article then quotes an unnamed soldier, "My personal feeling is that it is a direct attack against Christianity and Judaism.  When you look at the regulation and you notice the four items directly quoted are cross, crucifixes, the Star of David and the Menorah."

This same article also related an incident where a U.S. Army training instructor listed evangelical Christianity and Catholicism as examples of religious extremism along with Al-Qaida and Hamas during a briefing with an Army Reserve unit based in Pennsylvania.  For a more complete discussion, go to www.mobile.wnd.com/2013/04/military-warned-evangelicals-no-1-threat. 

Yes, the world is seeing Christians as being more of a problem than radical Islam.  Yet, as I have written in previous blogs over the past several years, this should not come as a surprise to us for Jesus told us that the world would hate us as it hated Him.  I trust we have as steely a resolve as did Daniel and his three friends.  Read those first few chapters of Daniel again this week.  Follow their lead.  Let's be prepared to, first give an account for the hope that lies within, and second, to be willing to suffer for Christ's sake if called upon to do so.