Shutdown Over Obamacare: Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
President Obama was a part of two shutdowns that affected me this week.
First, the government shutdown that affected the nation (especially veterans trying to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.). And second, a letter I received from our insurance company saying that we had been cancelled because of the Affordable Care Act (dubbed Obamacare).
We were told to go to the “exchange” and try to get new insurance.
It crashed.
So I said goodbye to Tony, our family physician and to the company that has provided health care for us for the past ten years.
Both shutdowns involved the Affordable Health Care Act, and if you believe the mainstream press, it is the “anarchist” Republicans who are at fault. Our local newspaper had a four page spread on ACA – and one page of it was “definitions of terms.”
Here are my “definitions” of what is taking place in America right now.
My first advice is what I learned in Kindergarten: Be careful little eyes what you see.
One of the realities of life is that the same people are events can be viewed from totally different points of view, depending on your facts (or lack of them) and your faith.
Here’s an obvious example.
During the time of the Third Reich in the 1930s and 40s. the German people came to believe that they were a superior race, that Hitler was a charismatic and noble leader, and that conquering Europe and the world might be a good thing for all people.
On the other hand, in other European nations, across the English channel, and in America, people viewed the same events and leader in a totally different light. Because of their different view and faith, they did everything in their power to thwart and obstruct the mad German dictator.
So be careful little eyes what you see.
You may have the sight right on the lens of your eye, but your interpretation of what’s happening may be totally different from reality.
That brings us to the partial government shutdown over the Affordable Care Act.
Let me give my take on the sobering and confusing events of this week. I will do it through the lens of my own definitions–some of which, you may disagree with. That’s okay. Just check your facts carefully so that your eye will be filled with light (Matthew 6:22).
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS IN THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OVER OBAMACARE
Government Shutdown
A very partial thing. Essential services are open, Social Security checks are being mailed, and most people don’t notice much difference in everyday life. Do we really need all this government?
Republicans
The Grand Old Party goes back to Abraham Lincoln and has mostly stood for the values of Judeo-Christian culture (though very imperfectly) for the past 150 years. Republicans generally believe in limited government, God-given rights, economic freedom, restraints on morality, and a strong national defense to ward off evil in a fallen world.
Today’s R’s are divided. Some believe that secularism is triumphing in America and that they need to become “Democrat-lite” to win elections. Most of these have been in Washington, D.C. for awhile and make up the old guard. They are squishy on some issues and generally avoid confrontation.
There is a new guard of Republicans who believe that we have turned away from God, are in bad straits economically, that the ACA will only exacerbate our demise, and that we need to turn back to the time-tested ways.
The Republicans are the minority party who only control one half of one third of the branches of government (the House of Representatives). Their leader, John Boehner, is a part of the old guard. The R’s are not causing the government shutdown–but you wouldn’t know this by listening to the news.
Democrats
A noble and longest-serving party that found its voice during the administrations of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Democrats have a greater belief in government and want it to grow to take care of the needs of the people. They believe in centralized control, restraints on capitalism, complete freedom in morality, and have a general dislike of the military and its role in the world.
For many years, the core values of the Republicans and Democrats were fairly similar. In the 20th century, the party swung more into the secular progressive vision of a large welfare state, a one-world government (think United Nations), and rejection of the Judeo Christian past.
Democrats control the US Senate, the White House, and probably–slightly–the Supreme Court as evidenced by Chief Justice John Robert’s decision to approve the individual mandate found in Obamacare. They are backed up by a very liberal academic world at many universities and liberal stars in Hollywood.
The Mainstream Media
Once an independent voice to keep the government in check, the current mainstream media has simply become the media arm of the Democratic Party. They share the secular progressive vision for social democracy in the United States and the ascendancy of the United Nations (think climate control).
Let’s be clear about the major players: (you need to watch for their by-lines to be aware of the bias you’re getting). The New York and LA Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC. Others include the Politico, the Huffington Post, and MoveOn.org.
This vast media empire is currently blaming the Republicans for the government shutdown. Our local newspaper (which is very liberal) came out with this headline on Tuesday: “Republicans Shut Down the Government.” There was a large and unflattering photo of John Boehner, and a smaller and thoughtful photograph of President Obama.
The message was clear: R’s are bad and the president is doing his best to help the situation.
Compromise or Bi-Partisanship
This used to mean that when the two parties come to the middle to produce law that the entire country can live with.
Today, compromise means that the Republicans give in to the desires of the Democrats.
What just happened over the past two weeks of negotiating the Continuing Resolution and ACA? The Republican House offered to fund the entire government except Obamacare. The Democratic House said no. Then the Republicans offered to delay Obamacare a year and cut the tax on medical devices. The Democratic Senate said no. Then the R’s offered to give people the option for a year as to whether to join the ACA (just like Big Business was given a year’s waver). Again, the D’s said no.
The Republicans have tried numerous compromises (and a willingness to accept many programs and taxes in the CR which they steadfastly oppose) and the Democrats have said nyet.
No. Nada. No compromise.
But their mainstream media arm tells the unthinking American public that the Republicans are the anarchists, terrorists, rapists, etc.
However, in secular progressive America, the message is becoming clear: It’s our way or the highway.
Transforming America
After five years of governing, we now know the meaning of the chant “Yes We Can!” The secular progressives believe they can cordon off faith in the US, destroy the traditional family, re-distribute wealth to those whom they choose, and control the American populace through the ACA law which gives them power over one-sixth of the American economy (to be enforced by the increasing hated IRS).
For the sake of argument, let’s say that their motives are noble. They think it’s fair to take from the rich, give to the poor, and control most of life from cradle to the grave.
I don’t think all their motives are that pure (or they are that stupid), but maybe some are. So what?
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. If they succeed, we will go the way of Europe and maybe even end up like the Soviet Union–the ideal socialist utopia. All we will find in that land is universal, serfdom and poverty.
Obstructionists
Any person or party that tries to resist the progressive re-making of America. According to this definition, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the German pastors resistance movement would have been labeled obstructionists by the Nazi regime.
Ted Cruz
One of the new guard Republicans who believes in faith, family and freedom, and was willing to speak for 21 hours straight on the Senate floor to desperately wake up the nation to the problems Obamacare will bring.
Harry Reid
The water boy of the current Administration who didn’t produce a budget for four years and is directly responsible for the government shutdown. I believe he is one of the worst Congressional leaders in all of American history.
Barack Obama
Our twice-elected president who is a fabulous campaigner and great speaker. But he has a problem with telling the truth and has weakened America at home and around the world. He is the true leader of the secular progressive movement.
Lucifer and his Demons
The invisible spirit beings that are indirectly responsible for the chaos, venom, bad policies and potential disasters that could be coming to America and the world. Their goal is to “Kill Jesus” in all of Western culture.
Suckers
The American people who don’t understand or want to understand what is happening in this battle of worldviews and differing faiths.
Revival
Only an act of God in The United States can awaken His Church, bring millions into his Kingdom of love and light, and transform our nation through his truth and power. It’s happened three times before.
This is our greatest need.
So be careful little eyes what you see.
Ted Cruz and Mikhail Gorbachev: Why We Should Pray for National Leaders
This morning Senator Ted Cruz from Texas finished the fourth longest speech in US Senate history–over 21 hours–using a filibuster-like tactic to draw attention to the problems of Obamacare. Cruz, like a majority of Americans, wants the Affordable Care Act defunded and repealed.
Why? Because it is the most destructive entitlement program in the history of the Republic which will sink the American nation into the fiscal abyss, the shackles of tyranny (think IRS), and another recession (or Depression).
Whether you agree with Ted Cruz’ tactical strategy or not, I ask you to pray for him and many other national leaders.
Mikhail Gorbachev just might be an inspiration for you.
First of all, a few thoughts on Ted Cruz. He’s a new-generation political leader of Hispanic background that you need to watch coming years. Ted is principled, smart, articulate, courageous, and just might run for president in either 2016 or 2020.
If we want “good vision” in 2020 (pun intended) keep your eyes on Ted “of the Cross” (Cruz in Spanish). We desperately need someone like him who will tell us the truth and lead the American nation back to the freedoms of godly government where faith, morality, family values, limited government, economic liberty and peace through strength reign as bedrock principles–not just a forgotten past.
There are others like him on the horizon–legislators Mike Lee (UT) and Marco Rubio (FL) come to mind, and also many conservative governors (Susanna Martinez (NM), Bobby Jindal (LA), Nicki Haley (NC), Mitch Daniels (IN), John Kasich (OH) and Scott Walker (WI)–to name a few. They all seem to be rising in stature and influence.
I believe there is a prayer correlation to their success. Here’s the Scriptural backdrop:
“The first thing I want to to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well, so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way God wants us to live. He wants not only us but everyone saved” (1 Timothy 2:1,2 – The Message).
I think the first time I prayed for a government leader was in a church service. Whoever was up front led the congregation in praying for our president and other leaders.
Some year later, I began to pray for political leaders in small groups where we discussed some of the issues of the day and then bowed our heads to pray for our mayor, governor, president, or leaders of other countries. The group dynamic helped me remember that public figures needed our prayers.
Then I helped coordinate a large national prayer meeting in Washington, D.C. in 1980. Much of that day was spent praying for godly leadership in America. Six months later, the Reagan Revolution swept into town with many secular leaders voted out of office, and numerous others were elected to lead America in a different direction. The day of President Reagan’s inauguration, the Iranian hostages were freed–also a fruit of prayer and other factors.
So for about twenty years, I prayed for political leaders primarily when I was in a group setting, either large or small.
But I rarely did it alone in my personal quiet times.
Then God exploded 2 Timothy 2:1,2 on my heart. It teaches that:
- Prayer is the first or most important thing we can do.
- We should pray for all people on earth (verse 1).
- We should pray for political leaders including heads of nations (verse 2)
- Because good government is essential to peace and tranquility,
- And civil government and their leaders contribute to all people coming to salvation.
What an amazing intercessory promise: praying for righteous leaders and good government has a huge bearing on world evangelization.
So for the past twenty years, I’ve not just prayed for national leaders when it was convenient in large and small group settings, but have brought it into the center of my own personal prayer life.
The YWAM Prayer Diary helped me. It contains a page where you can commit to praying for different items on each of the seven days of the week. Since God said “first of all” to pray for “everyone and leaders,” I chose to use of the the first days of the week to pray specifically for local, national and world political leaders.
I believe it is one of my most important practices today. Why?
Because God says so.
To encourage you to add this practice to your own personal prayer life, let me refer to the former dictator of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.
I saw an article a few years ago (that resurfaced this week), that reminded me that our prayers for the supreme leader of the USSR in the 70s and 80s did not go unanswered.
I started praying for Mr. Gorbachev to come to faith, and for God to use him for his purposes in the mid 1970s. In 1980, I led a team into the USSR. We spent an entire day fasting and praying for the freedom of the Soviet Union, for its people and its leaders.
Nine years later, the Iron Curtain fell and eventually half the world was liberated from the clutches of atheistic communism. In the past thirty years, many people in China, the USSR, and other communist states have come to faith in Jesus Christ.
And Mikhail Gorbachev is crucial to that decisive historical change.
He was the architect of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring or reformation) of the Soviet communist empire. As a part of a long line of dictators that included Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and other tyrants, Gorbachev was assumed to be a hard-line communist.
Then an article appeared in March 2008 that indicated the Mikhail Gorbachev might be a Christian.
The suspicion emerged after private citizen Gorbachev paid a surprise visit to pray at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi (in Italy). Accompanied by his daughter Irina, Mr Gorbachev spent half an hour on his knees in silent prayer at the tomb. His arrival in Assisi was described as “spiritual perestroika” by La Stampa, the Italian newspaper.
“St Francis is, for me, the alter Christus, the other Christ,” said Mr Gorbachev. “His story fascinates me and has played a fundamental role in my life,” he added.
After his prayers, Mr Gorbachev toured the Basilica of St Francis. He said, “It was through St Francis that I arrived at the Church, so it was important that I came to visit his tomb. I feel very emotional to be here at such an important place not only for the Catholic faith, but for all humanity.” He also asked the monks for theological books to help him understand St Francis’s life.
Father Miroslavo Anuskevic, who accompanied the former Soviet leader, said: “He was not recognised by any of the worshippers in the church, and silently meditated at the tomb for a while. He seemed a man deeply inspired by charity, and told me that he was involved in a project to help children with cancer. He talked a lot about Russia and said that even though the transition to democracy had been very important for the world, it was very painful for Russia. He said it was a country which has a great history, and also a great spirituality.”
Mr Gorbachev’s surprise visit seemed to confirm decades of rumours that, although he was forced to publicly pronounce himself an atheist, he was in fact a Christian.
Interestingly, Ronald Reagan allegedly told his close aides on a number of occasions that he felt his opponent during the Cold War was a “closet believer.”On a number of occasions when the two leaders met at summits, Gorbachev stunned Reagan by invoking God’s name, typically in expressions like “only God knows” or “God help us.”
Reagan was struck by this at the first summit they held together in Geneva in November of 1985. In their very first plenary meeting, Gorbachev chimed in, “We have never been at war with each other. Let us pray God that this never happens.” He dropped the G-word in a casual reference during his and Reagan’s fireside chat at Geneva and that evening used a biblical quotation in an impromptu toast at a state dinner.
So was he or wasn’t he?
Here’s my take. At the least, God was working in the heart of a gruesome communist dictator to answer the prayers of many and to change the history of the planet.
Actually, the seeds of possible faith had been planted many decades earlier. Gorbachev had been baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church as a child and his parents were Christians. I imagine they also prayed quite a few prayers for young “Michael.” Also, the parents of Mikhail Gorbachev’s wife, Raisa, were deeply religious and were killed during World War II for having religious icons in their home.
So, there was a Christian heritage of sorts for both the last president and last first lady of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
To be fair to the record, after the Assisi-visit story appeared in 2008, Gorbachev denied that he was a follower of Christ. He said, “To sum up and avoid any misunderstandings, let me say that I have been and remain an atheist, but all these years, it has never occurred to anyone to list me among followers of any faith on that basis.”
So, at least in this interview, he denied Christ.
He was either stating the truth, or bowing to public pressure to keep his faith quiet. Only God knows the human heart.
I don’t know if Mikhail Gorbachev is a believer or not. But I do know this:
- He and his wife were baptized as children.
- That most atheists don’t pray for thirty minutes on their knees at a Christian shrine.
- He appears to be on a spiritual quest for meaning (or maybe peace) before he, too, goes the way of all the earth.
- That God used him open up half the world to a fresh encounter with the teachings of Jesus.
- And that I and many others prayed for him by name–that God would change and use him for his glory.
So, let’s press in in prayer for national and world leaders! Are you praying for Angela Merkel of Germany, or Xi Jinping of China? Or how about Fidel Castro on his death-bed in Havana or Barack Obama and his influence on America and the world?
“The first thing I want you to do is pray…Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well.”
Do it in church, in public gatherings, and in your own prayer closet. Pray for Ted Cruz and the new generation. Pray for the leaders of India, China and the other nations of the world.
Maybe another Mikhail Gorbachev is out there–and God is wanting you to pray for him or her to change the world again.
What To Do About Syria: My Thoughts and Prayer
The recent Syrian use of chemical weapons and the American response to it are dominating the news this week–as they should.
I have rarely seen such tense debate on national television over what to do. It’s also rare to have such strange bed-fellows in the debate: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid joining John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Bill O’Reilly as war hawks, and Dennis Cucinich, Frank Leahy, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity representing the doves.
To be honest, as Charles Krauthammer recently admitted, I’ve gone back and forth on what is the right course of action.
But today I had to vote in a national poll of Christians leaders.
I said no to an attack on Syria.
Here are my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours.
1. Bill O’Reilly believes that America’s reputation in the world is at stake in the Syria dilemma. We’re known in history as a noble nation that backs noble causes. In the last hundred years we’ve freed more people from tyranny than any nation in history. We can’t let the use of chemical weapons go unnoticed or we will unleash every crackpot tyrant in the world to kill their people and abuse their power. I agree with Bill on this general premise.
2. America is a unique nation that has advanced the cause of freedom around the world. We never did it perfectly–but better than anyone else. Our stature is based on our trust in God, belief in His Word and principles, in biblical freedom, justice and compassion, and the God-given rights of people. However, our corporate culture is dangerously in decline because of turning away from God–making us morally weak, economically enslaved, and internationally vulnerable. Our true power will never be our firepower–but our hearts, morals, ideals, compassion, hatred of evil and zeal for good–backed up by the greatest fighting force known to man.
3. Many say we should bomb Syria because chemical weapons were used to kill over three hundred people and injure one thousand more. That’s gruesome and barbaric. But a double standard or poor memory seems to exist. Saddam Hussein gassed five thousand Kurds in the 1988 and probably over 50,000 of his own people over two decades. Yet Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and many others opposed our involvement in Iraq. Why the duplicity? Why is it a “principle” now to oppose the use of weapons of mass destruction, but not to oppose it under Saddam? Principles should never be politicized–otherwise they are not principles, but simply partisan chicanery.
4. President Obama made numerous, consequential mistakes that have brought us to the present crisis. First, as Democrat Charley Rangel observed, it was “embarrassing” for a US president to draw a “red-line” over the issue. It only tempted our enemies to taunt us. In truth, that red-line was passed several times in the past six months–so why play our chips now, and not then? Is there simply a bruised ego involved here that is the real motivation for authorizing a strike? Is that a good reason to lob bombs or start a war?
5. The president of the United States then indicated that a surgical strike was imminent. Two days later he took a forty-five minute walk and changed his mind. He told us the strike didn’t have to be imminent–it would be just as effective in days, weeks or months. Really? Can’t the Syrian government move its targets during that time into residential neighborhoods behind masses of human shields? And if we bomb the heck out of them, aren’t we more guilty of the loss of innocent human life? No wonder Pope Francis is calling the world to fast and pray on September 7 for peace in Syria..
6. The administration’s expressed strategy is not regime change in Syria–but “a shot across the bow,” i.e. to make a point or save face. Is that a good military calculation? We spend a a half a billion dollars lobbing Tomahawk Cruise missiles priced at 1.5 million dollars each into the Damascus neighborhoods to say Na-Na-Na-Na Na! to the Syrian dictator? Won’t he just laugh in our face and continue the civil war, emboldened that America doesn’t have the guts to fight a war to win? (Anybody remember Viet Nam?).
7. Let’s back up and look at the bigger picture. How has the current US government’s foreign policy helped to bring either freedom or stability to the Middle East? We got rid of Ghaddaffi in Libya (after he had laid down his arms thanks to “Peace Through Strength” under Ronald Reagan); in return we have our embassy ransacked, our ambassador killed, and a fearful rise of jihadist elements in Libya. In Egypt, we get behind the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, then support the Muslim Brotherhood who tried to bring a worse from of Islamic dictatorship to the nation; the people cast off Mohammed Morsi and now hate America for our stupidity. Now in Syria we say that we want to help depose the dictator, Bashar al-Assad; but if he is defeated, it’s likely that he will be replaced by the rising jihadist element in the Syrian opposition forces.
8. We seem to have our foreign policy backwards. In nations that have never experienced biblical liberty, “stabilizing dictators” are far better than Islamo-fascist ones. Let’s be honest. The Middle East and America’s strategic interest were far better off under Ghaddaffi, Mubarak, and Assad than under the emerging alternative. We are essentially helping Iran–the real terrorist linchpin in the region–to foment an Islamic caliphate in that part of the world.
9. Let’s talk about Iran–honestly. It’s the real human scourge in the Middle East. Iran is the seat of the world’s most radical jihadist government which is brazenly committed to annihilating Israel and spreading holy war to the ends of the earth. It is the supplier of arms for Hezbollah and Hamas. Syria is simply its client puppet in closer proximity to Palestine. And Iran is possibly one year away from having a nuclear bomb. I have a suggestion for Congress as they meet next week. If you want to authorize a war declaration or get behind a wise use of force against evil, then authorize the military might of the United States to join Israel in taking out Iran’s nuclear capabilities–then support the freedom movements that were once vibrant in Tehran. As Iran goes, so goes Syria and the rest of the Middle East.
10. As to chemical weapons being used in Syria, there is a disagreement as to who really used them. Our government tells us it was Bashar al-Assad who reigned them down on a Damascus neighborhood. But why would he do that with UN inspectors on the ground? He’s winning the civil war in his nation. Why would he be so foolish to turn world opinion against him?
There’s another theory out there that you might want to read here. In a thought-proving and well documented article, Israeli-American foreign affairs expert, Yossef Bodansky, lays out the case that it was the jihadist opposition that used chemical weapons to frame the Assad regime and draw America and the world into the trap of deposing Assad.
11. Here is the pertinent part of Bodansky’s research:
“There is a growing volume of new evidence from numerous sources in the Middle East — mostly affiliated with the Syrian opposition and its sponsors and supporters — which makes a very strong case, based on solid circumstantial evidence, that the August 21, 2013, chemical strike in the Damascus suburbs was indeed a pre-meditated provocation by the Syrian opposition. The extent of US foreknowledge of this provocation needs further investigation because available data puts the “horror” of the Barack Obama White House in a different and disturbing light.”
“On August 13-14, 2013, Western-sponsored opposition forces in Turkey started advance preparations for a major and irregular military surge. Initial meetings between senior opposition military commanders and representatives of Qatari, Turkish, and US Intelligence [“Mukhabarat Amriki”] took place at the converted Turkish military garrison in Antakya, Hatay Province, used as the command center and headquarters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and their foreign sponsors. Very senior opposition commanders who had arrived from Istanbul briefed the regional commanders of an imminent escalation in the fighting due to “a war-changing development” which would, in turn, lead to a US-led bombing of Syria.”
“Several Syrian leaders, many of whom are not Bashar al-Assad supporters and are even his sworn enemies, are now convinced that the Syrian opposition is responsible for the August 21, 2013, chemical attack in the Damascus area in order to provoke the US and the allies into bombing Assad’s Syria. Most explicit and eloquent is Saleh Muslim, the head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) which has been fighting the Syrian Government. Muslim doubts Assad would have used chemical weapons when he was winning the civil war.”
“’The regime in Syria … has chemical weapons, but they wouldn’t use them around Damascus, five km from the [UN] committee which is investigating chemical weapons. Of course they are not so stupid as to do so,’” Muslim told Reuters on August 27, 2013. He believes the attack was ‘aimed at framing Assad and provoking an international reaction.’”
12. So things may not be what they seem. This same ploy was used in 1995 to draw America into bombing Serbia (under Bill Clinton). The winners of that charade? The Muslim forces in the region. Is it possible that a similar deception is taking place in Syria to draw the US to depose Assad which will lead to either chaos or Islamicist supremacy in another Muslim nation?
Those are my dozen thoughts. I’d like to hear yours.
Here are some suggestions:
- We should not go to war in Syria, especially with a symbolic surgical strike. The US Congress should say no to presidential blunder and bluster. Syria is not Iraq. Bashar al-Assad is not Saddam Hussein. As Ret. Colonel Ralph Peters opines, “we should let both our enemies kill off themselves.”
- We should lead the humanitarian assistance to those suffering in the region. We should support the real forces of freedom.
- We should do everything in our power to stand by Israel and not trigger a war in the Middle East that builds a ring of terrorism around the Hebrew nation.
- Any military actions should be aimed, short-term and long term, at liberating Iran. Cut off the head of the snake and the body and tail will die.
- We should immediately approve the Keystone Pipeline and act with urgency to create energy independence in the United States. A disastrous entanglement in the Middle East will spike the cost of gasoline and plunge the world into global recession.
And we should join with Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in praying for God’s gracious intervention among the suffering in the region. We should also join with Intercessors for America in 21 days of fasting in prayer that begins on September 11.
Here is my prayer:
Father in Heaven–we desperately need your wisdom and clarity to respond to these incredible events taking place in the Middle East. Protect and inspire your people to bring the light of Jesus Christ into every home and neighborhood. Raise up godly leaders, both here and abroad who share your interests of life, liberty, and justice on earth. May your light and love triumph over the forces of darkness coming against the world. In the Name and through the power of Jesus, the Messiah. Amen.