Beauty: Eye of the Beholder?

Envision as Rod Serling did ("Twilight Zone: The Eye of the Beholder") a world in which the notions of loveliness and ugliness are flipped, a world in which appearance, nationality, faith or other identifiable characteristic is wrongfully yet for political purposes perceived as a threat to society.

Imagine a world in which all who do not conform to a given image must be restricted in lifestyle or employment, segregated into ghettos or destroyed.

Yet we do not have to imagine it. Indeed, this has been the case throughout history. The primary reason for such injustice as the world has known has been consistently that of gaining public support for a ruling elite group or individual. Politically the end has always been some form of dictatorship.

The psychology has been simple: prey on the fears, ambitions and needs of the majority. Pinpoint an easily definable people group that can be blamed for their troubles. Ridicule members of that group, turn the public against them with innuendos and outright lies, blame them for all that has gone wrong, ostracize them, then in time commence to have them annihilated. Those among the less intelligent followers you have used to push the persecution, once they have used up their purposes as "useful idiots" they can then be eliminated as well.

Now take this to the spiritual level, where it all truly began. Satan and his demons were thrown out of heaven as a result of their rebellion against the one true God. From that time on they have hated Yahweh God, hated His Son Yeshua the Messiah, hated His creation (mankind in particular), hated His chosen people (the Jews), and by extension hated Christ-followers as the grafted-in branch of the vine. A great many of the finest attributes of man and developments for the good of man have been demonstrated repeatedly by these two people groups.

The world is increasingly "conforming" to the image satan desires, with every conceivable form of perversion and cruelty gaining strength. "Whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report" are touted as being harmful to and wrong for society (Philippians 4:8).

Many false promises have been held out to men: fame, fortune, power, sex, enduring youth and health, escape via drugs or alcohol, the chance to be "cool" and popular... the list is long, yet the basics have not changed since mankind first walked the earth.

What satan's followers do not realize is that they have become his "useful idiots." They have willingly become pawns in a war as old as time itself. He and his ilk have already lost the war some 2,000 years ago, but strive to take as many people down with them in ultimate destruction as possible.

The final bell is about to be rung and the winner declared to one and all. At some point all choices will be declared final, irrevocable. Every decision-- and determining not to decide is itself a decision, carries within itself the seeds of its consequences. God is love, yet perfect love demands perfect justice tempered with mercy.

Each of us must decide which way we will walk in 2019. No one else can choose it for us. After all, not one person can guarantee he will draw his next breath. The world is a very dangerous place. Choose wisely.