Cindy is being attacked, smeared, ridiculed by the bad guys. She has been made to walk in a ditch, shot at, ostracized by her family, divorced by her husband. Cindy understands that one accepts suffering when one follows the Prince of Peace.
Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
This is one of the hardest teachings Jesus gave us, yet it is the natural order of things to resist change. Powerhungry people especially resist giving up their power, so those who challenge them must be prepared to suffer and even die. Jesus made passive resistance a noble thing; prior to His coming, it was shameful not to fight one's enemies physically.
Many have followed His example over the century. Martin Luther King, Jr. led us out of the Egypt of racism, and was martyred for doing it. Gandhi in India (greatly influenced by Jesus) met the same fate for leading his people to freedom from British colonialism.
As we struggle to free ourselves from the tyranny of the Bush administration, let us consider the sacrifices Cindy has made, and ask ourselves if we are willing to do the same. The future of our country and of our planet is at stake.
In the name of the Prince of Peace, Carol Wolman
