It’s all been done before.

I’ve always been a huge Bare Naked Ladies fan.

The band, I mean. Let’s just make that clear up front.

There’s a song called It’s All Been Done Before, and it reminds me of right now.

And every “right now” for that matter.

I think it’s pretty easy to label the darkness in this world as “new.”

It never was and never will be.

Satan has been playing this game for a long, long time, friend. (1 John 5:19)

So I suppose my issue isn’t that there’s evil in the world.

My issues is when I scan the faces of other believers, and all I see is a cloud of anger and resentment.

Yes, it’s heartbreaking there’s a strong current turning against our children.

But maybe it’s more like this: there is a strong current turning against God’s children.

We are merely the ones designed to raise them. An unfathomable honor in a sea of chaos.

Righteous anger is a very real and appropriate reaction. But we can’t let the darkness turn the current in our own hearts.

It’s too easy to create an us versus them divide.

We are to be Jesus, extending a hand to the hurt and broken souls that take what we mistakenly believe to be ours.

There is no “mine” in this game.

There is only God’s. And to Him goes ALL the glory.

He sees what’s being done. He knows.

So let the bitter taste curdle. Take a strong drink of fresh water. Ask the Holy Spirit to turn the raging tide inside into love. So you can hold your children close and teach them the one thing that’s chafing at your skin: love your enemy.

Because if we don’t, no one will.