Slick Ice of Choices

I have been considering what disturbs me most, about our current global condition. As I journaled this morning, I wrote, I don't have a lot of room in my heart for traitors: this surprised me. The roots of my irritation, of my frustration, the very seed of my upset, is treachery 

Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil (John 6:70).

Sometimes I ruminate on Judas Iscariot, forever infamous as the one that sold the Saviour for thirty pieces of silver. He tried to give back the bloody money, saying "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood"... (Matthew 27:4), but the ones that gave him cash in the first place, would not have it... they thought they were absolving themselves of guilt, but alas, plotting murder and paying for it is a crime against God, literally. And that is the point: that if we wilfully, plot, plan and execute dastardly deeds against another, we are committing crimes against God, the Author of life. 

Slickery

Betrayal is not a new mode of operation, we are all guilty of slickery: I first heard this descriptive word from a friend when we were approaching black ice and she warned me to be careful of falling, that it was slick and slippery: thus the combination of words giving birth to the term slickery. Clever really, and it describes what we are witnessing all around us. Human beings, fast and loose, slick and slippery with their words, their declarations, and ultimately, their deadly deeds. 

Dangers of black ice

When I consider the dangers of black ice, I hear in my head, echoes of the warnings from my father in the winter time. On tarmac, thin sheet like ice, is near impossible to see before your tires come in contact with the frozen surface: the thing with black ice, is that when you hit it, when you are on it, you know it, because it can shoot your vehicle in the direction of a ditch, or on coming traffic, with little interest in the drivers input. Out of control is the feeling, and isn't that just what we are experiencing now, dear one? 

It feels like we are on near invisible black ice, careening to the cliffs edge, and the wheel has someone else's hands on it, hands we do not recognize

I do recognize 

Hands we do not recognize... the thing is, I do recognize some of the hands, because some of the hands held mine. They were my friends, they were my family, they were my neighbours, close relatives, my former husband: I knew them, they knew me, but while I tried to hold on, keep my fingers interlaced with theirs, they let go. I see them in my minds eye, slip sliding on the slick ice of choices they have made, unable to stop the careening toward the cliffs. They are beings unto death, because in this life, they chose the lesser things, the things of this world that satisfy in the moment and never again

A revelation 

They live in the void: this is a stunning statement to make, and a revelation of sorts for my saddened soul. They are my never agains, my used to be's, and my what if's: they are my no mores and they fade in my memory as though they were a lovely dream I once had but cannot completely recall. They betrayed themselves, and by doing so, they betrayed God... this is a chain reaction type of situation: 

• If people are traitors, meaning they turn on God, then OF COURSE, they do the same with people in their lives

Many have

And many have, isn't that right dear reader? Many have turned on you, while you remained faithful? Many have decided that you are dangerous, you are a hazard, you are their black ice? They see you as slickery, as risky business, all the while, you have been the solid, safe and stable ground beneath their feet and on the road ahead... they have lost their way, and there is nothing you or I can do, to pull the wheel back to steering straight again. 

They are the treacherous traitorous ones, and they accuse with their eyes, vindicating the shedding of innocent blood for a fist full of filthy lucre. It is the oldest trick in Satans book, selling souls in exchange for dead relationships and sick suicidal tendencies: 

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:1-5)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23) 

Treacherous treasonous traitors

Let us not be surprised, dear reader, by treacherous treasonous traitors. Jesus Christ, sinless, was betrayed by one of His chosen disciples, out of unmitigated avarice. Jesus does not make mistakes, He knew what Judas would do, in fact, all that happens is part of His redemptive plan, His Divine Providential care for those that heed Him, remain loyal to Him, up to and including, the point of death. He lived out what we experience today, the sting of betrayal when someone we care about, turns their back on us and walks away, despite professions of forever love. 

While it is grievous to suffer the loss of loyalty of loved ones, it would be far more grievous to the soul, to betray Jesus Christ: that is the risk we take, when we go the way of the world, as many have in droves, right before our very eyes. The only hope for the murderous masses, is to regret the role they played in being paid for shedding innocent blood: repent, and beg for forgiveness of their deadly sins, at the feet of the Only One that can save their eternal souls, Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ, is mighty to save