(Part 6 in the multipart series “Where We Stand”)

The hardest part of Christianity is authentically believing all the crazy stuff Jesus said. This is especially true because modern theologizing has descended into sophistics. Trapped in jargon and political formulae, our ability to believe the plain words of the Bible has atrophied into a caricature. Christianity has submitted herself to the world of memes and thus sits exposed to the fiery, real-world assaults of all manner of malevolent powers.

The solution is to remember that Jesus Christ is an Old God. He is no mass-producible, kitsch reflection of wishful mythology. He is no matrilineal flannelgraph bed-time story of moralistic, therapeutic narcissism. He is a man of war. He is a God of vengeance. He is a Spirit of all-consuming fire, and His book, the Bible, is the singular arcane relic of all-potent wisdom, the tome of perfect lore and better-than-magic, inerrantly inspirational prayers.

What fool leaves the genie in the lamp? What hero never draws his sword? What good is a holy book that you never read?

The days are evil, far more evil than the natural eye can see. When the lamp of the body is filled with darkness, how great is that darkness!

Time, history, and earth are always teaching us something. The wise man never ceases to ask, “What does this mean?” He knows there is an answer to “Why?” and what is more, he knows where to find it.

When Jesus said, “Bring them here and slay them before me” (Luke 19:27), he wasn’t messing around.

Why are we?

Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
The Mad Christian