“Have I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16).
It is a verse from the Bible. The apostle Paul was rebuking the people for believing lies others were telling them and they didn’t like his rebuke.
How will I begin 2025? I know how I need to do it. I’ll begin it the way I ended 2024. I’ll get my gun and go hunting… for elephants, so that our living rooms may be hospitable for all. I’ll break the silence that eats away at us.
A large herd of elephants crowds the territory and must be dealt with, or we’ll all be eventually stampeded to death. How does one deal with them? By daring to speak the unspeakable, to talk about things on people’s minds that they’d rather not face or express, but which must be addressed by Truth if we’re to deal justly with one another as good and faithful neighbors. Lingering elephants are a threat to the peace of all. Our fear of them makes us accomplices in potential dangers.
What to do? We need to care, be fair, dare to speak about what is there and clear the air. What better thing is there? But you all stare as though I have purple hair.
And now, I speak to another pair.
Stan and Erica, you and I have met on the road on several occasions and briefly exchanged friendly small talk, which each of us has done with many as a passive habit. Marilyn and I had you and your family for dinner once, and for the past 2-3 years or so, you, Stan, dropped off a bottle of wine at our house with goodwill as a seasonal gift, wishing us a “Merry Christmas.” We appreciate the gesture.
I’m surprised you didn’t know we didn’t celebrate Christmas, perhaps because I failed to inform you, or you forgot, or because we accepted the season’s gift. We weren’t about to refuse it and offend you for no good reason. Hey, we genuinely thanked you and shared it with friends.
This 2024 Christmas you didn’t offer us your traditional gift, but as I was walking, I saw you driving to the neighbors here and there, briefly visiting them, and wondered if you were keeping your custom but this time, excluding us. Not assuming anything, just wondering. Your kids were with you in the truck and waved, and I waved.
As you slowly drove past me on the road, you didn’t stop to greet me as might be expected. I thought, “I wonder what’s up…or ‘down’?” I suspected it might have something to do with the Moon River Monocle publications. Some people have been offended, which is understandable and expected.
Stan, you wouldn’t be the first or the only one to snub me. Each time they pass by our place, Raymond and Tanis Huppee don’t appear to be too impressed with me. Have I done them any evil? We had a clash in email correspondence over a community matter a few years ago. Raymond decided he didn’t want to hear from Marilyn and me again. So sad. Why the reaction? We were willing to talk and they weren’t. Why not?
Stan and Erica, I considered things a bit and decided to get my rifle and go shoot “the elephant in the room,” if indeed there was one at all. “Let’s find out,” I thought, and headed to your house on Christmas day.
Son Glen answered the knock. I greeted him and asked for you, Stan. Erica was inside and hadn’t answered yet. You were outside coming around the corner. You and I greeted one another, and you invited me in. Erica hadn’t invited me though she was there.
The three of us sat down in your den and I revealed my purpose for the visit. I came to the point immediately, mentioning your apparent reluctance to stop on the road to talk. You assured me there was nothing to it but I found you rather hesitant about things and I didn’t have any difficulty picking up on Erica’s spirit and countenance.
I think I mentioned that I suspected I may have said something on the Monocle that offended you. You didn’t seem to want to discuss much but I do recall you saying something like, “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion and should have the right to believe and think as they please.” Something to that effect; correct me if I don’t get things quite right.
So, I assumed you had something on your mind, after all, but weren’t excited about discussing anything. I asked Erica what she thought. I said she was sitting there quietly and seemed quite uneasy, even upset. She replied, “I’m sitting here biting my tongue.” Still, she wouldn’t say anything.
No surprise. Elephants were there, alright, and I wanted to address them in all Truth and fairness. Not that I necessarily feel I owe people any explanation but I did think it was forthcoming in this circumstance.
Again, correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you felt that I shouldn’t be publicly speaking to people about things spoken in private, particularly if there was conflict or disagreement involved. Is that the general gist of it? So, I asked the question:
Do people have the right to gossip, murmur, slander, speak evil of me, and do me evil in private, even with evil intent, but I don’t have the right to speak the Truth of matters openly with a look to do good and set the record straight? How does that work?
And isn’t it best to try and settle some matters privately between 2 or more parties before making them public? Many have assumed that I haven’t tried. True, I’ve not always done that, but on scarce occasions, as with Mike Petty, for reasons I could give.
And Stan, you piped up, saying, “And here you are! You’re here talking to us.” It seemed you were trying to be conciliatory and speaking the obvious truth. I said, “Amen, that’s what’s happening.” I appreciated your point.
Erica, I tried to hear more of what you might have to say, in case there was something I needed to know to make things right. Had I lied or misrepresented anything to anyone? Was I not entitled, as Stan declared, and as I suspect you also believe, to believe and think what I wanted, along with everyone else? Are you upset that I’m speaking what I believe and think? Do you agree with free speech or only with free belief and thought? What good are those without freedom of expression?
I agree that you have the right to question and debate matters with me. I’ve honored that right, so why are you reluctant to do so? Instead, you’re going to harbor resentment? What good is that to anyone, especially you? And why do you refuse me the right to come to you and try to reason with you? Isn’t there some contradiction here? What are you afraid of?
Perhaps you folks think I’m “judging,” as I’m often accused. You don’t say. But I covered that reasoning with you. I told you what Jesus Christ had to say:
“Hypocrite, how is it you judge others and say, ‘Brother, let me take the sliver out of your eye when you have a beam in yours?’ First, remove the beam in your own eye, and then you’ll see clearly to remove the sliver in your brother’s eye.”
So, He’s saying that one is quite welcome and authorized to speak to the slivers and beams in others’ eyes once they have addressed their own.
I said that I have removed the beam in my eye, by God’s grace, and now He sends me to point out the slivers and beams in others’ eyes. It’s true! And if they hear and believe, it will go well for them. God will spare them. But if they won’t listen, He said He would destroy them.
Will you folks be willing to try to establish the undeniable truth of things before assuming you know what’s going on and bearing unwarranted resentment?
I declared I was hearing from God. Is that a strange thing to you? It is to many. Isn’t it possible? Now, if I’m not thinking or hearing correctly and I’m not hearing from God, then you have nothing to worry about. But if I’m right, and how do you know I’m not, then you may have some believing and thinking to do… and changing your mind and ways about the Truth of things. In the end, there must be justice for all or we have a problem.
Marilyn suggested that before I posted this on the Monocle, perhaps I should consider trying to talk to you again. I told her I gave that serious thought. I pondered that for days. It has now been several days and I haven’t heard from either of you.
I gathered it was not Stan that primarily had the problem with me but you, Erica. While he was willing to say something, you sat there sullen.
Soon, Stan stood up and declared he had things to do. I took what I thought was my cue to leave. Perhaps you were busy, Stan, and I was taking up your time. I wasn’t satisfied that we had gotten anywhere and thought that more could be discussed. Though I also had things to do, I was ready and willing, believing these things to be important. But neither of you was interested.
I tried once more to demonstrate my goodwill towards you. On my way out, I offered my hand to you, Erica, and you haltingly shook it. I don’t know if you simply held to your upset position unchanged toward me or maybe you thought I was your enemy. You didn’t say anything. Well, I’m trying to be your Truthful friend and am willing to let you state your case. I think you both know that.
I offered my hand to you, Stan, you were ready to take it and wished me a Merry Christmas. I said that I appreciated the thought but that we didn’t celebrate Christmas. I thought you knew we didn’t. “You don’t celebrate Christmas?” you replied with surprise.
Erica said nothing, I left for home, saddened, hoping we might hear from you after some time for you to think, but we haven’t.
In the next several days, I pondered these things, and if your hearts are turned against me, so be it. I don’t regret anything I’ve said to you and others unless I’m proven wrong.
While you, in effect, seem to grant others the right to gossip and murmur lies and disagreements against me behind my back and even “discuss” things with them, you don’t seem to recognize my right to speak the Truth openly to counter lies and misunderstandings.
Maybe I misunderstood you, Stan, but I disagree with the contradicting belief that everyone has the right to believe and think as they choose, right or wrong, provided they keep it to themselves. I say that none of us has the freedom or the right to believe and think lies and error, no matter how innocent they may seem to be, but we all have the right and responsibility to believe and think what is true and right, and the obligation to make known what is true, honest, just, and right to others. That’s how I see it. From where I stand, this is what God wills us to do. Therefore, I speak.
“You have no right to preach to us,” some argue. No? Says who? What gives anyone the right to tell me I don’t have the right to speak the Truth? Do you have the right to preach to me, that is, tell me “your truth”?
My sources of Authority are God and the Holy Scriptures. I’ve proven them to be Perfect, Faithful, and True, thoroughly proven so. May I ask you what your source or sources of authority are? Opinion is never fact; it is only opinion, invariably falsehood, with or without evil intention. There aren’t many truths to govern mankind. There is only One Truth, One Standard, applicable to all of us. His Name is Jesus Christ, Lord, Creator, and Savior of all.
Erica, you referred to “moral law.” Do you know the Source of moral Law or are you a law to yourself and take as law anything you wish to believe?
Jesus declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man can come to the Father (God) but by Me.” Men commonly concur that Jesus was a good and wise man. Any reasonable and knowledgeable person will admit that Jesus Christ has impacted the world way beyond anyone else in all of history. What do you say? Do you think He’s a liar, or some old-fashioned ancient ignoramus or fool? Do you think you have a better understanding of Him and the Biblical Testimony of Him than do I and all the prophets and saints of history? Present your case. I’ll listen and God willing, I’ll answer, with alacrity, joy, and gladness.
To be clear, Jesus Christ was and is much more than a moral and wise man, and more than a prophet, I guarantee you.
Like I’ve been saying, God hates what has been going on in this “wonderful” community. While I would like to be at peace and agreement with everyone, I’m not willing to forfeit my peace with God. I’m telling you all what has to be made known and none of you can continue to do your thing without answering to Him.
For years, I’ve been warning you of the death and hell coming. Haven’t you seen it? Canada’s finished as the country it’s been. Trudeau, the Liberals, NDP, Marxists, Islamists, and progressives have succeeded in destroying Canada. You already feel the effects. And they’re not done yet, not by a long shot. There will be more, much more, I’m sorry to say.
And why is all this coming and even here already? Because of SIN. The kind of sin I’ve been pointing out. The wicked, selfish attitudes, the lies, the slander, the godless hypocritical lives of doing your own thing as though you can believe, say, and do as you think best.
Well, I’m here to tell you God no longer stands for it. For nearly a half-century, every 7 years, since 1977, He’s been telling me to warn everyone that He’s finished winking. He’s done overlooking careless, irresponsible, selfish, godless attitudes.
He would rather usher in and grant you abundant life. He really would, but you’ve refused Him and ignored everything He has sent me to speak to you. Now, He’s sending in the sword, famine, pestilence, and two-legged wild beasts to steal, to kill, and to destroy. He said He would do it, it’s happening, and the worst by far is yet to come. Mark His Word by me. He’s angry, I’m angry, and We’re both very sorry, but unless you repent, you’ll all perish.
Thus says the Lord.