A recurring theme in the Old Testament went something like this: the people of God (Jews) face a temporal crisis. The people of God surrender to a pagan nation, paying tribute to both the foreigners and to their gods.
Most of the chosen people assimilate with their earthly masters. During the Babylonian Exile, they largely abandoned circumcision and most of the Mosaic laws. The Temple was given over to orgies and terrible sacrilege.
The Temple was filled with reveling and debauchery by the gentiles, who took their pleasure with prostitutes and had intercourse with women in the sacred precincts, introducing other indecencies besides. The altar of sacrifice was loaded with victims proscribed by the law as profane. No one might either keep the Sabbath or observe the traditional feasts, or so much as admit to being a Jew. (2 Maccabees 6:4-6)
Only a few remained faithful to God. For failing to assimilate, these faithful few were persecuted. The worldly lords tempted them, offering them riches and influence and power if only they would give up the public practice of their faith.
During these periods, most of the Jewish leaders encouraged people to keep the faith privately while humoring their earthly masters. Go along, get along. Why make things difficult? We have a good life here, or could, if only you religious zealots would tone it down a bit. Your faith should be a private matter, between you and God.
Those who kept the faith suffered. Second Maccabees tells the story of a woman and her sons who were tortured and killed for refusing to eat forbidden meat, for instance.
In the time of Coronavirus (a word now banned from Facebook, by the way), Christians are offered the same threats and empty promises by our earthly masters. We are asked to go along to get along. Even many Catholic bishops and priests bow to the pagan masters and surrender public displays of faith in order to avoid their wrath.
Are the earthly masters satisfied by the Church’s obsequiousness? No. Each concession by the Church is met with new demands for further worship of Baal, so to speak. Merely hiding our faith is no longer enough. Now, we are told to pay tributes for abortions and to present ourselves to be vaccinated with the cells of aborted human babies. We are told we must become cannibals like them, living off the flesh of our children.
These earthly masters won’t be satisfied until we’ve become like them. “Misery loves company,” as my grandmother used to tell us.
And, in return for our submission to the master of the world?
[T]he devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9)
Do we give in? Do we fight? Or is there a third option?
As we know from the Old Testament, most of the Jews gave in. The Maccabees fought. But the Early Christians of the first five centuries (and more) did something else, and that seems to be the way for us 21st Christians, as well.
The Early Christians lived in the world but not of the world. They preached the Gospel to those who would listen, kicked the dirt from their shoes of those who would not listen, and refused to deny their faith or worship pagan gods, even to their deaths.
The easiest paths are to give in or to fight to the death. The hardest path is to suffer peaceably for the faith. Yet, that is exactly what we are called to do.
If the world hate you, know ye that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:18-19)
I believe courage begins with wisdom. Wisdom is knowing God’s will.
Wisdom 7:7-16 (DRA) #
Wherefore I wished, and understanding was given me: and I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me:
And I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.
Neither did I compare unto her any precious stone: for all gold in comparison of her, is as a little sand, and silver in respect to her shall be counted as clay.
I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for her light cannot be put out.
Now all good things came to me together with her, and innumerable riches through her hands,
And I rejoiced in all these: for this wisdom went before me, and I knew not that she was the mother of them all.
Which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy, and her riches I hide not.
For she is an infinite treasure to men! which they that use, become the friends of God, being commended for the gift of discipline.
And God hath given to me to speak as I would, and to conceive thoughts worthy of those things that are given me: because he is the guide of wisdom, and the director of the wise:
For in his hand are both we, and our words, and all wisdom, and the knowledge and skill of works.
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We can’t know His will on our own, but the grace of wisdom comes to those who ask, as promised in the Book of Wisdom.
This is my answer to the question: How should Christians prepare for and respond to the centralization of power in atheistic, globalist organizations? Know God’s will and live it. Ask for wisdom, and you will receive. It isn’t easy, but no one said it was going to be easy.
Then Jesus saith to him: “Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10 DRA)