Blog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 

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Y2K Remembered – 29 December 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

Do you remember the wild speculations and fears that circulated before the ushering in of the 21st century? Seven years ago, many of our friends and acquaintances fell for all the hype and tried to get us to join in the unfounded frenzy. Several of these Christians belonged to the same food co-op as we did; they couldn’t understand why we were not buying the special plastic pails for hoarding food as they were. They couldn’t understand why we refused to fall for all the scare tactics of their pastors and televangelists, even though we explained to them why it was impossible for such a disaster to occur and that fear is the opposite of love and their faith in God.

I remember “surfing the TV channels” the summer before the year 2000 and happening to hear a very prominent, wealthy TV evangelist urgently advising his followers on what to do to protect themselves and their families. Storing food was one of the actions on his list. This same man had years earlier predicted that a devastating famine would hit our country and had urged the same tactics. Of course this earlier dire “prophecy” had never materialized, either; but his faithful sheep kept right on following their false prophet.

It’s interesting how uncritical these followers are of their shameless leaders who cost them a bundle: families who least could afford it spent thousands of dollars needlessly for precautions to protect against catastrophes that never materialized. Yet they never fail to join in criticizing those who try to tell them the truth.

The following scripture passages came to mind while I was writing this Blog:

1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
~ New American Standard Bible

2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity – of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear – but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
~ The Amplified Bible

In Luke 6:26 Jesus says:
26. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.”
~ New American Standard Bible

Isaiah 59:15
15 Yes, truth is lacking;
And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
~ New American Standard Bible

Go on to: Fear - 30 December 2006
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