Words can paint a picture that draws one quickly to the obvious conclusion. The clich?s follow the pattern “a rose is a rose”, “if the shoe fits”, and “a pig by any other name is still a pig”. When you read the description and the words continue to polish an image in the mirror, then one needs to carefully consider what they are seeing.
When I look around me at the destruction rampant in relationships and the environment I cannot help but draw the parallel. “A colorless horse, sickly pale. Its rider was Death, and Hell was close on its heels. They were given power to destroy a fourth of the earth by war, famine, disease, and wild beasts.” (Revelation 6.8)
We may not have destroyed a forth of everything that is around us but we are rapidly approaching the mark. Everything is under assault. Marriage, family structures are torn apart by the selfishness within. Societal structures continue because of tradition, not because they continue to prove and demonstrate their worth. Water dominates the earth yet clean drinking water is in short supply. Wars tear at the fabric of human existence while a small minority leach on those less powerful and revel in their self focused existence.
This is ugly! If you describe a scene where the rider is Death and Hell is close on its heel I merely wonder to which person you specifically referring. Far too often the individual could easily be me. On any given day it could be any one or all of us
For a long time the overwhelming evidence of destruction and the linked pain and anguish brought with it a mantle of depressing reality. For reasons buried in my view of God I see things quite differently. Forces are at work in this world. That is the harsh reality of the times in which you and I live. Yet in these times there are extreme and amazing opportunities to give away love, mercy, and unconditional acceptance! I want to seize the day, grab the opportunity! The window is open.
