I’m haunted by Jeremiah 16.
The Lord tells Jeremiah that, in essence, he must not make common cause with the people of Judah. He’s not to join in their celebrations or other observances. Don’t get married; don’t have kids; don’t get involved in their social rhythms at all. Jeremiah notes it is impossible for him to simply feel nothing about the people, but realizes such feelings can easily become deceptive.
This haunts me because I feel myself in a similar situation. I’m not worthy to empty Jeremiah’s chamber pot, but I understand how he feels. The only applicable covenant to the US is Noah. That’s specific enough because we have failed the whole thing. We haven’t managed to keep any part of it.
For my nation, there is no Exile and Return because we don’t have a mission to produce the Messiah. Worse, we would have murdered Him a million times over if we could. Even more heartbreaking is the horrific responsibility of American Christians in making things worse. They have embraced the lies of the Pharisees and don’t even know it. They are just as closed to the truth as the Pharisees were, in a tight loop that excludes the truth before discussion starts.
Yes, I’m referring to embracing Hellenism or Western epistemology. You can’t be Western anything and understand the Bible. You won’t catch me claiming I’m the only one who does understand it, but I know for certain you can’t bring a Western epistemology to an Ancient Hebrew mystical book and expect to get it. This alone alienates my from most American Christians, and even more so from the general run of the population.
Sure, a strong empathy for individuals still holds me. I care about people, but I care about them getting right with God. How do I explain that God gave me some sort of internal switch? There are times I simply turn off the emotions about things, even when I see horrific suffering. I have to, or I’ll go insane. I’ve already seen a lot of suffering and it’s just getting started. That’s because I know beyond all doubt Americans as a whole have rejected God’s Laws in every way possible. We have demanded God destroy us by poking Him the eye repeatedly.
So I don’t make common cause with Americans as Americans. I want no part of what Americans have done to earn God’s wrath. Only those who repent truly and embrace His Laws as taught by Christ can share the divine citizenship that calls me. I’m just passing through this land as an alien. I’m calling anyone able to hear, “Come out from among them.”
Lord, “You are the One I can run to for safety.”
