I was travelling yesterday, and in one of the conversations with a son the comment was that many of the more radical young people no longer believe in democracy. They want a strong leader: they want nationalism. They see socailism as broken and old, and democracy as a delusion.
None of the metaphors for how God will rule his people are democratic.
None of them. There is no voting as to how we should approach God, instead God approaches us.
And if we have any sense, we should both desire this, for he indeed loves us, and fear it, for our delusions and self deceit will be laid bare.
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.(Isaiah 62:1-5 ESV)
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
(Revelation 19:11-16 ESV)
God is coming. In love, and in anger.
The Duluth model is wrong; grievously so: one can love someone and be righteously furious with them, for they have fallen from where they ought to be. When one executes justice and removes evil, one is allowed to be angry.
We are made in the image of God. Part of that is that we want righteousness, and we want the best for each other. Part of that is anger. Part of that is love: and the two at times are aligned. To not allow this — to call all anger violence, and all leadership abuse, is to make us less than human.
And it is to deny the lORD when he comes. It is a lie of the elite. Do not be them.
The worrying thing is that in wanting a strong leader they will look outside themselves to a man for it rather than inwardly to the new heart and freed mind that Christ offers.
And, more importantly, less like God. As you say, love does not prohibit anger. Although God is love, he is very capable of anger.
I wonder if Muslims view God more from the anger perspective, rather than that of love. If so, perhaps that helps explain the growth of Islam.
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I finally figured out where the photo was taken. I lived on the North Shore for 10 years and am used to seeing Rangitoto from that direction. I was thinking Devonport but I see it is Mission Bay.