Opinion

More than once during these past harrowing months of political strife, racial upheaval, gender clash, and conspiracy speculation, friends and acquaintances online have demanded noise. They have called again and again for the cymbals of opinion and conjecture to be endlessly crashed into the atmosphere of public discourse. To remain quiet, they reason, is to be complicit in the evils around us. Quiet, they claim, is weakness. Being still and speechless is no longer an acceptable option in a culture that values its own noise above all else.

Those who are born into the kingdom of God have a peace that surpasses all understanding. This peace is not that which the world gives, but an inward peace of the assurance of God’s eternal kingdom and that we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ through adoption. This peace was given to us by the Holy Spirit Who was poured out into our hearts by the love of God. By His grace He awakened our souls, unveiling the eyes of our heart to the reality of His spiritual kingdom that resides in our very midst. Jesus speaking to the religious sect concerning this subject said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is !’ or, ‘There it is !’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” The natural person, those who are not in Christ, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. But the spiritual person, those who are in Christ, judges all things according to His holy word, for they have the mind of Christ. As Christians we know that God is everywhere, yet those whose eyes are blinded by sin cannot see Him. But our eyes have been opened by the power of regeneration, and we move and have our existence in Him . It would be impossible to place a Christian where he would not see his Maker in creation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unsettled the country’s employment picture for months and will likely continue to do so for a while. However, the nature and terminology of this disruption varies greatly among individuals – some have seen their jobs disappear, others have been “furloughed” and still others have been offered an early retirement. If you’re in this final group – those either offered, or feeling forced to accept, an early retirement, how should you respond?