Light in the land of Goshen

Not one to sugar-coat

Anyone who knows me well also knows that I tend to be a straight shooter on issues of theology, politics, and culture. I don’t see the benefit in nuancing things to death in order to be winsome and ensure that the information is palatable. So, let me tell you what I see both currently and coming soon in Canada.

Our aging population in conjunction with our inefficient and socialistic healthcare system is almost certainly going to bring about a medical crisis in Canada, with care/treatment being unavailable and inaccessible. As both our dollar and the US dollar loses value due to inflation, economic collapse might come sooner than anyone thought.

Our legislation is moving toward even more taxpayer funded pre-born baby murder, doctor-assisted suicide, genital mutilation and chemical castration of children, and the imprisonment of anyone who does not support and advance the Woke sexual agenda. It also looks like the outright persecution of Christians will be both encouraged and legally protected.

The damage done by COVID policies and mandates will take decades to see fully and sort through. It appears that the increases in cancer, overdoses, mental illness, infertility, and suicides don’t seem to be lessening. The Climate Crisis, set up shrewdly by COVID-era practices, will further limit freedoms for Canadians.

In short, Western Civilization 1.0 is on its last legs in Canada. Western culture is in its twilight, and the full collapse of the Canada we have known for generations is approaching. The rot of Wokeism, Neo-Marxism, Secular Humanism, and Neo-Paganism is so deep and so complete that there is no way to salvage our culture. There must be a full and final dissolution of Western values and principles that works itself through every aspect of Canadian life before any kind of real re-building can begin.

I told you I’d give it to you straight

An informed, not naïve, optimism

Some might respond by asking, “What’s the point? Why not just throw in the towel, escape to greener pastures, or wait in our bunkers until Jesus comes back?” In fact, it might shock some to hear that despite what I see coming for Canada in the next several decades, I am both very optimistic and very hopeful; not in our ability to save Canada – I believe that ship has sailed – but in what the Lord can and will do in the midst of our eventual re-building.

This is not the first time empires have fallen, and this is not the first time cultures have collapsed. This is certainly not the first time the Christian Church has gone through total national upheaval in the last two thousand years. In fact, as kings and emperors have risen and fallen, and great nations have ruled and then been brought to nothing, the only real constant in the last two millennia – the only kingdom that has endured – is the Kingdom of God and its advancing in the world. When the Lord Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church, He wasn’t lying.

I am hopeful that Christians will, as they have always done, build cultures and operate for the flourishing and fruitfulness of citizens. Christians are the ones historically that have created hospitals, orphanages, universities, and humanitarian organizations. It’s people who love the Lord that historically have made the most beautiful art, the most captivating music, and the greatest advances in science and medicine. What Christ has been doing in and through His Church for two thousand years won’t stop because of some Woke, Tranny Communists.

Protected from the plagues

Now, you may be thinking, “But Andrew, if this total and utter collapse you are talking about becomes a reality in Canada, then the Christians will also suffer too, no?” Well, maybe, but maybe not, at least not in the way you might be thinking. In fact, it might be the case that even as Canada collapses all around us, those people who love the Lord, obey and serve Him faithfully, and live in intentional community with other like-minded Christians might experience increased blessings as the devastation ensues.

In Exodus, as plagues are being brought upon Egypt, Moses says the following to Pharaoh on behalf of the Lord, “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. Therefore I will put a division between your people and my people” (Exodus 8:22-23). The Lord is again as explicit with this distinction regarding the death of livestock (Exodus 9:4), hail (Exodus 9:26), and darkness (Exodus 10:23). Chaos fell upon Egypt for her sin, but there was light in the land of Goshen.

No safety to be found in the city

In Mark 13, known as the Olivet Discourse, Jesus is answering His disciples’ question, “When will the Temple be destroyed, and what will be the signs that it is about to happen?” In the midst of His answer, Jesus tells His followers what to do when they see certain things happening in Jerusalem, and it has much to do with Rome laying siege to the city walls.

He says, “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak” (Mark 13:14-16). Jesus warned His followers that when they saw certain things begin to take place, rather than fall back to the city, they were to flee the city and seek safety in the mountains.

But why would Jesus say that? Afterall, Jerusalem was surrounded by massive walls that were, in the eyes of essentially everyone, the best kind of defense in a time of crisis. When Rome was about to come against Jerusalem, most people would have thought that leaving the safety of the city for the mountains would leave one unprotected and ripe for Roman attack. Surely the walled and fortified city was the safer bet.

However, once Rome broke through the walls, the devastation was extensive. Over one million Jews were killed. The city was the foolish choice. Do you know who did not experience mass casualties? The Christians who listened to Jesus and fled the city. They were safe, in the midst of the literal flattening of Jerusalem, because Jesus kept them safe.

Our help comes from the Lord

I believe, and I have hope, that God in His mercy can spare His people whatever devastation and calamity may fall upon Canada, so long as we faithfully obey His Word and do what He tells us to do in anticipation and preparation for the impending destruction. This is not about some prosperity theology where faith equals material blessings. This is about how God has made the world to work. When we obey Him and align our lives with His design for humanity, it is always for our best, and He is more than capable of sparing us the judgement that falls upon an unbelieving nation.

This is how the Psalmist describes it: “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 121:5-8). Now, this does not mean Christians won’t face evil and suffering. It does mean that whatever evil befalls us, it falls within God’s sovereign purposes. He is able to spare His people the kind of wrath He brings upon nations.

I believe that as followers of Jesus structure their homes according to the Scriptures, commit to and serve in churches in a way that accords with the Scriptures, understand what is the responsibility of families and churches and NOT the State (education, healthcare, charity, etc.), and engage faithfully with the world around them (start businesses, save wisely, do public theology, etc.), even as Canada descends in chaos and calamity, perhaps there will be light in the land of Goshen.

This is part of why I do not despair as I consider the future. This is why Christians should engage and not disengage. This is why Christians should build and not retreat. This is why believers should be good stewards and not bury their talents. I see a Canada where the broader unbelieving citizenry is panicking and anxious, experiencing the consequences of their rejection of God and their idolatry, all the while God’s people experience blessing. I am not just talking about spiritual blessing, though there will be much of that. I mean the blessing of fruitful children that bring joy to their parents, thriving businesses, and not seeing all that we have worked hard to build destroyed or lost to the pagans.

Cathedrals begin one stone at a time

Just to be clear, this is not just some pie-in-the-sky optimism. This kind of thing is actually happening right now. As the economy nose-dives into ruin, Christians who are starting and running businesses in a godly manner are experiencing no shortage of work and opportunities. Even though we are being told to have fewer children, those Christians who are filling their quivers are seeing the Lord provide for their every need. During COVID, of those churches I know that remained open and faithful in the midst of lockdowns, they experienced a miniscule number of severe illnesses and deaths.

Again, I am neither a word-of-faith preacher nor a prosperity gospel advocate. I understand how the world works in relation to how the Lord has designed it to operate. When we obey God, it is always for our best. The more closely we align our lives to His Word and design, the more we will experience blessings and not curses. The Scripture is clear about this in both the Old and New Testaments. When we do what is required of us, even when it seems counter-intuitive and in opposition to worldly wisdom, God often proves that, “the wisdom of this world is folly with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19).

This, by the way, is inextricably connected to my previous post regarding Christians and how they view voting and politics (see here). You see, when we engage in the political sphere and vote with principled integrity, God will bless it. When we try to play the game of political pragmatism and expediency, even though it seems to be the best way to keep us safe and find prosperity, it more often leads to more judgement from God and more suffering. If we would only abandon our decades long traditions of voting for the “lesser of two evils” and “not splitting the vote,” we might just experience tremendous light in the land of Goshen and be spared the “plagues” that have been and will continue to fall upon Canada.

We also have to think long-term here. We are not just trying to survive the next wave of tyranny. We are not looking to barely make it by the skin of our teeth. We are preparing to rebuild a Christian culture from the ground up. Our job right now might be to clear the ground and pave the first stones of the building. It might be our children and grandchildren, or a generation that won’t be born until after we die, that gets to finish the work of this structure that is Western Culture 2.0 in Canada.

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris began construction in 1163. It was not completed until 1345, meaning it took 182 years to build. The people who began to build it did not live to see it completed. The people who completed it were not alive when the work began. In fact, the people who began the work died before the people who finished the work were even born. Yet, with a hopeful view that the work would someday be complete, and a trust in the plans, people faithfully did their duty.

Oh, that we Christ-followers in Canada would have such an attitude when we think about building our own cathedral of a Christian nation, trusting that God will not only provide what is needed to do so, but also make sure there is enough light in Goshen to get the job done. Just imagine what we would have been a part of. Imagine what celebration there will be in heaven for having been used of God in this manner. Imagine how we will get to, both in this life and the next, extol the faithfulness and mercy of God in blessing us in our work, even as Canada as we know it comes undone before our eyes and the eyes of our children. May God grant us the faith to trust Him so completely.