A House at War  

“A son comes to reclaim his Father’s House.” Our journey begins with a simple message.

To many this message appeals to little more than unfounded religious fervor and, perhaps, false hope for either a new messiah or the return of an old one. To others it proclaims the arrival of a brother in the belief that each of us is a child of God. Whether the son is man or woman, he will stand in no shadow, yet hold all that came before in plain sight.
 

Having faith in God inherently acknowledges that existence encompasses more than our physical senses perceive. What lurks in the shadows beyond the horizon of our senses is both wonderful and dreadful; invisible forces that are active in our lives. They convince subtly by playing upon our desires, our hopes and our fears. They communicate emotionally and often without clear reason. They move us to the most inspiring works of creativity, kindness and giving, and the most horrific acts of cruelty and destruction.

The power of the dark voices is evident in a great war that rages unnoticed - a war that began the moment mankind took its first breath and unchecked will continue until it gasps its last. See its symptoms in cruelty, violence, killing, and in those that turn a blind eye to the needs of others. Hear its voice in the shrill rhetoric of political and religious leaders promoting division, exclusion and the waging of righteous war. Find its casualties among the homeless, the ill who can be cured but are not, the hungry, the murdered, and those who will never be born. Perhaps you are one of them; perhaps you choose to ignore them.

The motivations driving the great war come as no surprise – anger, hate, fear, greed, apathy and ignorance. They stand arrogantly behind each horrific action and conversely, each demonstration of indifference. But motivation does not reflect good purpose for this war is surely waged in vain. There can be no victor. It can lead only to the degradation, and possibly the ultimate destruction of us all.

The way future generations live will depend upon what we teach them. Shall we warn them against the dark voices or endorse the continuance of our self-degradation? Shall we leave them a better world than we found, or only what remains when we're done with it? Must we resign ourselves to only hoping they will act responsibly or shall we set an example by doing so?

If you are engaged in this war by having already taken the good path, you know your most effective weapons are nothing more than love, compassion, tolerance and patience.

If you are not, God calls you to action now –

for your own good, that of your children,

and of all people.

Whether you choose to make your stand within your own family or community or on a battlefield as broad as the Earth, the effort is no less critical. The war might be won in the absence of your participation, but it might also be lost for the lack of it.  You may not win this war alone but you may inspire those who will. Acknowledge your importance and take your position.