day no. 17,174: Christendom or Chaos?

“These culture wars have been with us from the very foundation of our nation. They are not something new that erupted when the first hippies started to disrupt Berkeley. From the very beginning, we have had men like Patrick Henry wanting America to take her place among the nations of Christendom. And also from the very beginning, we have had men like Thomas Paine, who wanted something much more like the French Revolution.” — Douglas Wilson, Mere Christendom

Christ or chaos is always the choice before us. It always has been and it always will be. There are no other choices. You will either worship Christ or you will worship chaos. Nations will either be governed by the law of Christ or by the chaos of antichrist. You can drink from the rivers that make glad the city of God or you can not drink from them. But there is no other stream. If you do not drink from the living waters, you will die of thirst. 

Isaiah 55:1-2

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

So, with all that said, come. Won't you come? Please come. Don't die of thirst. Not when there is ever-flowing, free grace right in front of you. Get down on your knees and lap it up like a dog. Be baptized in it. Drink it like down like sweet wine and be refreshed. Be washed from your sins and separated from them. Rise again and walk with a clean conscience before God and man. Slake your parched soul in the Savior. If you don't, you will drown in your sins.

“Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.

"I am dying of thirst," said Jill.

"Then drink," said the Lion.

"May I — could I — would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

"Will you promise not to — do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.

"I make no promise," said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

"Do you eat girls?" she said.

"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.

"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.

"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."

"There is no other stream," said the Lion.

— C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair