Hollowed Out

I am a person who likes to learn. I like to read and study and think. I suppose I have been accused of overthinking by some. But it is a part of who I am. I like to consider all outcomes and reasons; the things that might be effected by actions.

I am also (I suppose) a very political person. I know that is how I am seen. I don’t really think of myself like that. I simply view it as paying attention to current events, and being a good steward of our nation. I guess a part of me has never understood how people cannot be interested in those things. I do understand why some people choose not to speak up regarding their thoughts and opinions. Speaking up in regard to politics is certainly not for everybody. I do believe, however, that it is everyone’s duty to pay attention to the things happening in our world.

For me, the reason I choose to discuss politics is out of a conviction that it is the most deliberate tool we have to protect our Christian faith. That’s an ugly thought, I know…politics! Ugh! It’s too easy to say, “Well God will take care of those things. We just need to pray.”

No, He won’t. He gave it for us to do. We are His hands and feet while here on earth. And we are to be good stewards of our nation, just as we are to be good stewards of our earth, our communities, our church and our families – our entire world in which we live. Why would we just sit back for any of that – thinking God will take care of it? We don’t. We know it is our job to take care of all of it. Why would politics be any different?

“Yeah, but we should never talk religion or politics,” states the well known mantra.

Oh really? Well, that is about the biggest lie from Satan I have ever heard. Who gains from that? Satan does, that’s who. How do we learn anything if we do not talk about things and share what we know? If we are not open to discussion, how can we understand another person’s view point? We don’t have to be rude to discuss. Who thinks that? I certainly don’t. Our Founders certainly understood the importance of discussion. They called it "civil discourse". I think that phrase can be taken two ways. “Civil” as in government AND “civil” as in being polite! Those throughout our history certainly knew there must be discussion. In days of old, they actually met at the church to talk about the things that were happening in their communities and government. It is how they learned. The church building was not simply for faith. At times, it was for politics, government and community too. And no one silenced anyone.

But in this decade of time, we are being silenced. We have the ever growing “cancel culture”; and we have banning of certain voices on social media and in the news. We are seeing our history destroyed in the destruction of statues and monuments. We are seeing a rewriting of our history. And even more, a complete revision in the form of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project that is being taught in our schools. Our children and even our military are being taught to hate our nation. We are seeing shaming and mocking to try to have everyone think the same and behave in the politically correct way. It is all part of the plan to be successful in their mission of destruction. There is an all out take over of our nation from a radical left. We are being destroyed from within, exactly as we have long been warned. The time is here.

I have lost friends because I choose to speak up on social media. I will admit, there are times I am troubled by that. Sometimes I think I should be like everyone else and just be quiet. I have tried that a time or two. But it doesn’t feel right. I feel like I am not doing what God has told me to do. I have always believed God has instructed me to be a voice regarding the things that are happening politically in our nation. I honestly feel like it is my ministry. I have never felt I had the freedom to be silent. It isn’t who I am. I understand that is not the requirement for everyone. We all have different jobs and ministries that are required of us.

Recently, Tucker Carlson had a guest on his new show, Tucker Carlson TODAY, which airs on the new Fox news channel Fox Nation. The guest, author, Douglas Murray, is a Brit. I am not even sure if he has citizenship here, but he certainly had some very wise things to say. The views he shared, cemented for me, my understanding of why I MUST speak out.

I only saw a segment of the interview, but it was enough for me to understand that I must continue in the things I do, even at the loss of friends. Please watch and give it some thought. It may not be for you, and that is OK. But for me, I feel “hollowed out” if I don’t. I will become simply a core of myself.

And the bottom line: I do trust myself. I know my intentions and goals are for the right end. I have a Guiding Manual in which I base everything - God’s Word. And that is where I place my trust, and grow my confidence. We are losing our nation. I cannot be silent. You do you. But please, let me be me. But whatever you do – Do NOT hollow yourself out. Do not be afraid to speak your thoughts. We do not all have to agree.

"You either speak the truth as you see it or you grow to despise yourself. And you can see the result of that in people who hollow themselves out. They become cores of human beings because they never spoke up. They never really trusted themselves, or the people around them, to say things honestly." ~Douglas Murray

So worth listening to this short clip. “Hollowed out”. “If you don’t speak up you will come to despise yourself.” That is it in a nutshell for me.