One of the marks of MAGA antichrist religion is fear. That’s why this is astute:
Precisely. I remember once talking to a priest who really deeply believes the revelation. At some point or other, the conversation turned to declining collections at the parish. He could not have cared less, despite the fact of needing to pay the bills and keep the lights on. “The Church can’t be destroyed, so I don’t worry about stuff like that” was basically how he summed up his attitude–and it showed in his life.
It struck me as remarkably Christ-like. He too seems to have taken an amazingly relaxed approach to such matters:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” (Mt 6:25–34)
Here’s the thing: Gates are defensive structures of walled cities in times of ancient siege warfare. When Jesus speaks of the “gates of Hell” he is saying that the Church is to be a besieging and liberating force freeing people from enslavement to the powers of sin, hell, and death. If we are perpetually anxious about our loss of stuff and power, it might be very worthwhile to examine ourselves and find out if we trust Christ or are terrified that our earthly kingdom (over which Satan presides as slavemaster) is being threatened by Christ’s liberating power.
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