Everywhere we look today, we can see the consequences of choosing war over peace.We can change this. We can choose peace rather than war.We can do this by choosing above all else righteousness.
One of the aspects of this Substack that I like best is how you address the big, eternal questions that theologians and philosophers have pondered for centuries. These are the questions that matter. Do we love our neighbor as ourselves, or do we stick with, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”? Fundamentally, it’s “hate the sin, love the sinner”, but practical applications are more complicated, aren’t they? You do a great job of finding balance, finding key points, exposing dichotomies, and so on, Peter. Your writings are always a priority for me to read, and a blessing for me to absorb.
I know that if our country was invaded, you’d be the first to volunteer to protect the U.S. I also believe you wouldn’t harm anyone if you can avoid it. I’d like to think that most people are this way. I think within each person is a principled compass that knows there cannot be mercy without first having justice, and there is a time for tolerance and a time for springing into action to defend what absolutely must be defended. This is the moral compass that God has embedded within us, part of our soul that guides us. Remember Jiminy Cricket’s “always let your conscience be your guide”? That advice is timeless and something that everyone on the planet can understand.
Bless you always, Peter, for sharing your growing wisdom and for seeking truth. God is using this for good!
The world around us is undeniable evidence that peace never "just happens". We must work for that peace, individually and as communities and as nations.
Wanting peace and being willing to work for peace are two different things. Our challenge is to not just choose peace but to follow through by choosing those actions which build peace.
That is very easy to say. It is not at all easy to do.
That’s right! Do the action that seems to be kind. Until you are pushed by evil to do what must be done to protect the innocent, and to protect institutions that safeguard righteousness.
One of the aspects of this Substack that I like best is how you address the big, eternal questions that theologians and philosophers have pondered for centuries. These are the questions that matter. Do we love our neighbor as ourselves, or do we stick with, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”? Fundamentally, it’s “hate the sin, love the sinner”, but practical applications are more complicated, aren’t they? You do a great job of finding balance, finding key points, exposing dichotomies, and so on, Peter. Your writings are always a priority for me to read, and a blessing for me to absorb.
I know that if our country was invaded, you’d be the first to volunteer to protect the U.S. I also believe you wouldn’t harm anyone if you can avoid it. I’d like to think that most people are this way. I think within each person is a principled compass that knows there cannot be mercy without first having justice, and there is a time for tolerance and a time for springing into action to defend what absolutely must be defended. This is the moral compass that God has embedded within us, part of our soul that guides us. Remember Jiminy Cricket’s “always let your conscience be your guide”? That advice is timeless and something that everyone on the planet can understand.
Bless you always, Peter, for sharing your growing wisdom and for seeking truth. God is using this for good!
The world around us is undeniable evidence that peace never "just happens". We must work for that peace, individually and as communities and as nations.
Wanting peace and being willing to work for peace are two different things. Our challenge is to not just choose peace but to follow through by choosing those actions which build peace.
That is very easy to say. It is not at all easy to do.
That’s right! Do the action that seems to be kind. Until you are pushed by evil to do what must be done to protect the innocent, and to protect institutions that safeguard righteousness.
Thanks!
If Scripture has any meaning at all, we must put its teachings into practice in our daily lives. Faith must be lived or it is mere hypocrisy.
I'm just a man trying to answer the overarching question about Scripture: "What do I do with this?"