HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO THIS LEVEL OF DARKNESS?

I believe we owe it to the victims to not ignore their experience.

“Jerky” = human flesh? 

“Cheese Pizza” = sexual abuse of little girls? 

“Whoops” = Epstein & friends comments after someone they knew was sexually abused or ‘unalived” themselves. 

“Shrimp or Hot Dog” = sexual abuse of little boys? 

“Grape Soda” = blood

Hundreds of gallons of acid purchased to disintegrate bodies upon hearing investigations were coming? 

These things are confirmed in the recently released Epstein files.

One story that came out this past week revealed that a little girl would pray to Jesus to protect her and watch over as she faced sexual abuse at the hands of Epstein. Epstein joked about it with one of his friends and his friend suggested dressing up as Jesus “next time.” 

The most horrific, vile things the world has heard about in movies, online, or from ‘conspiracy theorists’ are being revealed. They’re no longer conspiracies. They are no longer to be laughed at and mocked (see: all late night tv talk show hosts or legacy media). 

Even the most hardened people are expressing feeling nauseous upon reading these horrific reports. One journalist said just reading and watching the evidence released was the worst decision they’ve ever made. In their ENTIRE LIFE!

If you live in Southern Oregon I’m here to tell you, while it might not be exactly like Epstein's Island, there are disgusting, horrific things happening to the children right here in our own community. Some of you are adults now whose childhood scars have felt a little too tender to touch in these recent days. 

The graphic things some people have shared with me about the abuse they’ve experienced, in some cases, may have been worse than or at least equal to the torture and abuse of Epstein's world.

In fact, just a few years ago I spoke with an adult who as a child was tortured, abused, and locked in a coffin while the other kids in their group just ‘disappeared.’

We’re in a moment where even people in law enforcement, first responders, DHS workers, ministry, anyone who sees and works with the darkest parts of the world are appalled and disgusted but not shocked. Maybe shocked at the scale, or the prevalence, but generally not surprised. Many of us hear and see similar stories regularly.

But for me, another challenge in all of this has been the response. 

Some say, “I can’t bear to watch or read any of it.” Some treat it as a far off tale from another land. I think most people are paralyzed by it. Not sure what to make of it. Not sure how to respond to it. 

How about the U.S. corporate media’s response? Fox News? 24-hour coverage of the Nancy Guthrie disappearance. The same story over and over from Pima County. Barely a mention about the Epstein files. Just more and more distraction. Protecting your sponsors eh? So very brave of you Fox News.

CNN? Just more non-stop fear-mongering that women and minorities are too stupid to learn how to get ID’s and vote. Reminding me that my wife and teenage daughter are some of the smartest individuals on the planet. CNN had to dance back and forth. Is Trump guilty? Is he not guilty? We need to be ready to make this a big deal if he is. Oh no, it’s more Clinton and our sponsors? Better just ‘shush’ this story til it goes away. 

Politics and ad dollars are once again more important than protecting children. In fact, we were told we needed to protect the pedophiles and abusers or society could collapse. 

Newsflash it already did. When you let the kids get raped, tortured, murdered, drained their blood, ate them, and then burned their remains with acid, that’s when society collapsed. It’s not being saved by the Dow Jones being over 50,000 points, thank you very much.

I’m certain I don't have the right answers for people but I have some observations and suggestions.

1.Observation: Confirmed, we can’t trust the corporate news media. Shocker. 

2.Suggestion: Care about kids. Please.

3. Suggestion: Do something. Do something to protect kids. Anything. Look around. Head up, eyes up. Give your time. Invest in them. LISTEN to them and respond. Vote for policies that PROTECT kids. Vote for policies that protect and promote healthy families.

4. What NOT to do? DO NOT ignore this. DO NOT try to make yourself feel better by entertaining or distracting yourself. My boys call it “bread and circus” in reference to the old Roman Empire’s propaganda-machine.

5. Please READ the horrors that these little humans went through. We owe it to them. They LIVED it. We at the very least can acknowledge it and know it so as to not let it happen again.

What have we become as a society if we are not concerned with the simple job of protecting children? We are not serious people if we can’t show some interest in this most horrific injustice. 

Don’t ever complain, riot, picket, rant, or say a word about “injustices” if you don’t have the heart or stomach to take up this one.

We spend billions of dollars playing around with entertainment, sports, recreation, beverages, drugs, we obsess over absurdities, build ‘tent-cities’ - fund stadiums and all the while IGNORE what’s happening to the kids because it’s ‘just too much.’  More bread and circuses please.

Christians need to pray and respond. Elijah prayed that judgment would come upon the land. God heard him and responded. Pray God would cleanse our land. Pray God would humble His people.

Pray that Christians, the global church community, His people would respond. Pray that pastors wouldn’t pretend that “everything's fine. People are just broken.” No, everything's not fine. Our neglect and abuse of children right here in this nation or community can NOT be ignored.

According to CH Spurgeon, revival came upon the land when God’s people acknowledged the sins of the nation, prayed for direction, and then each one responded individually. Spurgeon notes that Elijah prayed for judgment on the land and God brought droughts. Elijah then prayed for mercy and God brought the rains. 1 Kings 18 says Elijah’s servants after lots of prayer saw a cloud the size of a man’s hand. When he returned with the news, Elijah said “prepare the chariots.” He knew God was about to bring mercy rain.

I would contend that farmers were still planting during droughts in hopes that God would be merciful and bring rain and thus the harvest. 

Christians should do the same. KEEP planting. KEEP praying. Humanity needs a cleansing. Judgment is real. But so is His mercy. 

Now more than ever, we need farmers planting seeds in areas of drought. Pray for rain and then prepare the chariots. 

At the very least, read, listen, acknowledge and then be aware and responsive.

Many of you are on the frontlines of this battle. We are grateful for your bravery, applaud you, and pray for you.

To anyone who’s been a victim, my heart is broken for you. My prayers continue for you. I know Jesus can heal hearts. I know God is just. I know one day His kingdom will reign in full and pain and evil will be gone forever. Peace and justice will reign supreme.