Susan LaffertySatan lurks. Like a lion in the thicket.
Waiting to seize a victim.
Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth. From generation to generation. Oppression and terror? His language and modus operandi.
But into that thicket of devouring and death comes the Good Shepherd.
Seeking the lost.
The commandments given are plain. Straightforward.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your strength, and with all your mind,’
and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.”
Luke 10:27
Love the Lord with all that I am. Yes! And love my neighbor. Of course.
But, uh, by the way. Who is my neighbor?
Oppression runs rampant in our world today. Trampling the poor. Persecuting the faithful. Trafficking the helpless. Destroying innocence. It’s splashed across screens here in America and on the other side of the world.
I’ve looked into the eyes of those caught in this evil. Devastated by it. I’ve heard their stories. I know those in the thick of trying to reach and rescue and rehabilitate and restore. It’s no simple task. No quick “glory story.” It’s hard and messy.
The gospel is the only answer. This I know with all my heart.
But some days it feels like darkness is winning.