Before you read these words today, watch the video above. Make sure you watch it all the way through.
Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid!
Jim Caviezel gave a lot of examples in that clip, but one that stood out was when he said, “Should Christ have refused the cross?” Well, obviously we would say no NOW, because we understand why Jesus needed to go to the cross. But think about all the pain and tears before, during, and after Jesus’ death on the cross. No doubt many of his followers had countless fears as well. In the end though, they had joy as Jesus was resurrected and gave them their marching orders before His ascension. They went on to fearlessly tell the world about all they had witnessed, no matter the cost to their lives. Try to imagine that if you can for a minute. Sure, we have the book of Acts and other historical accounts so we can know what that looked like to an extent, but imagine living that and being a witness to it all! “Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.”
Fast forward to last Friday. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was following the Kyle Rittenhouse trial (I promise, last time mentioning him…for awhile at least). I will forever remember not just his tears after the reading of five consecutive “Not Guilty” verdicts, but my tears as well. Tears of pure joy accompanied by cheers of thanksgiving! In the post-verdict coverage, I’ve never seen so many adults (including almost every man) getting teary-eyed or choked up in their reactions. Those who managed to keep their faces dry were cheering in delight. Even though most of us have never met Kyle and may never speak with him, we all understood the magnitude of the moment, not just for him, but for our country. We could feel the weight of the world being lifted off Kyle and the relief of having a future that included freedom, knowing if the word “not” was omitted from the verdicts on any charges he would be removed from society indefinitely. Many of us were hundreds if not thousands of miles away, but we witnessed it. Imagine being in that room and experiencing it, or being his family member or friend, or how Kyle himself must’ve felt. Whoa!
This is about WAY more than Kyle though. Whatever you feel about him being there that night, you can’t deny it took a fearless attitude to enter a burning city armed with a med kit and a firearm. Agree or not, Kyle felt a sense of responsibility to come to the aid of people in harm’s way, putting himself at great risk. Others went there armed with only their recording equipment and phones. Think about that for a minute. What if independent journalists like Richie McGinniss, Elijah Schaffer, and Drew Hernandez weren’t there to witness everything firsthand? They felt/knew the corporate media was giving anything but an accurate account and they fearlessly walked into the chaos. They dodged bullets, fires, and angry mobs and put their own lives on the line simply because they wanted a truthful account of what was happening to be accessible to the world. What a difference that made! I listened to Drew Hernandez speaking about why he took the stand to speak as a witness in a trial for a young man he didn’t know when he wasn’t even summoned to do so. He said he had a responsibility to the truth. While the world and many in the media claim people like him just wanted to help because of their political leanings or to come to Kyle’s defense, people like Drew were answering to a higher calling—to testify to the truth. He’s one of many brave men who make a small amount of money for the huge risk that comes with routinely infiltrating violent groups so people can know the truth. “Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.”
We know what the corporate media does with their lying and nefarious motives. They put streakers to shame with the amount they expose themselves these days. Just like on many big stories where anyone can get access to objective facts, they still choose to spin knowingly false stories, and seem unconcerned with the damage they do to people’s lives. When we see the pain and tears in people’s lives at the hands of evildoers, we rejoice all the more when brave people trying to do good emerge victorious. When it is done on such an enormous level with the stakes so high, it’s no surprise our response is tears of joy. Ultimately, it reminds us of the One and Only truly GOOD Man/God in Jesus Christ who was unafraid as He defeated death and evil once and for all at the cross. While we will never truly understand things from God’s point of view, as witnesses we can appreciate the parallels. It’s sad to think that so many people fail to even see the good in the Rittenhouse trial and verdict as so may characters were intent on perpetrating evil. They are still deceived and/or spreading lies when it comes to this situation. It’s even sadder to think that for their own lives and at their trials with God as the Judge, they may not have Jesus testifying to truth on their behalf, but instead He will be testifying about how they rejected Him. That’s one guilty verdict I wouldn’t wish on anyone because it comes with a harsh eternal sentence! My free counsel is to get right with your Star Witness and look to the cross as your only piece of evidence so the most important “NOT” you’ll ever hear shows up in front of the word “Guilty” when your eternity hangs in the balance. I pray I’m there to share the tears of joy and cheers of thanksgiving with you!