The Passivity of Jesus

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.[1]

Engaging in a study of “the passivity of Jesus” carries a high degree of trepidation. According to the dictionary “passivity” is “…not acting to influence or change a situation; allowing other people to be in control.”[2] In the field of psychology “passivity” is not a positive attribute. Passivity is handled under headings such as, “How to Overcome Passivity”, “Releasing Inner Passivity”, or, PASSIVITY, By Pam Nugent, M.S. “…a type of adaptation, or maladaptation, wherein the person takes on a trend of submissiveness, reliance, and retreat into inaction.”[3] In the modern connotation of passivity, Isaiah’s prophecy suggests that the listed characteristics in Jesus were a psychological disorder.

I am using the word “passivity” as a synonym for selflessness rather than those given in a dictionary –inactiveness, inaction, inactivity, indifference, apathy, etc. The selflessness of Jesus was no disorder, it was completely congruent with the purpose for which he came to earth. Passivity may be a disorder if it results from insecurities or other emotional deficiencies. The passivity of Jesus was not a fault in any way. Jesus showed anger, when the temple was being desecrated by those making it a place of commerce. His anger and actions had nothing to do with self-preservation, or promotion –that was his Father’s House, and he was overcome with anger at the disrespect being shown to the temple and his Father.

The death of Jesus was not because he was unable to prevent it. It was his choice!

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.[4]

The enemies of Jesus may have gloated as their plan to getting rid of him proceeded. Little did they know the reality of the situation. When Peter took it upon himself to protect Jesus and resist his arrest, Jesus said to him-

Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?[5]

The passivity of Jesus was not a weakness or malady, it was strength born out of obedience to the will of God. It was the ultimate expression of submission to God’s purpose. It was the prime example for his followers. It was his teaching fully expressed.

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.[6]

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.[7]

As a person who leans heavily to the fight side of the “flight or fight” spectrum, I would like there to be a few caveats with these instructions –there are none. Considering the difficulty of the requirements above, people search for opportunity to water them down to be less onerous for modern application. Paul an apostle of Jesus, wrote that he didn’t always do what he should do, and sometimes did what he shouldn’t do. However, he also wrote,

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.[8]

Paul here quotes a saying from the Proverbs. The heaping of hot coals is not to satisfy one’s need for retribution. That phrase requires an interpretation consistent with the injunction not to seek vengeance.

The passivity or selflessness of Jesus is seen in Paul’s writing to the Philippians,

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross.[9]

It is interesting that Paul wrote to the Philippian believers regarding the humility and selflessness of Jesus. It was in Philippi that Paul let his humanness direct his actions. Even though Paul may have sought satisfaction by insisting the leaders of Philippi personally ask he, and Silas to leave, his teaching is clear that believers must not seek vengeance. To his credit on this occasion, Paul invoked his privilege of Roman citizenship after he had suffered beating.

When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.’ But Paul replied, ‘They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.’ The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.[10]

The personality traits needed to accelerate one’s self to higher positions in the corporate world, or characteristics which are deemed suitable to achieving success, are not those we would attributed to Jesus. The nature of Jesus would easily have contributed to his rejection by the Jews. Judaism was not anticipating a gentle, passive Messiah, it was expecting a strong king to lead Israel to victory and establish a powerful kingdom. David determined to have his son Solomon rule on the throne of Israel. His instructions were to have Solomon ride the mule David rode, and to proclaim him king of Israel.[11] Solomon’s elevation to the throne of Israel was accompanied by regal pomp. Jesus, the King of the Jews, was not surrounded by any symbol of royalty. “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”[12]

…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.[13]

I wonder what parishioners would say if their priest, preacher, or pastor, turned up for Sunday service wearing a t-shirt and jeans. “Jesus addressed an audience”; that phrase elicits a picture of a priest in official habit, or a person in a suit lecturing an audience. Jesus never rented a hall, he didn’t have makeup artists doing touchups to present a picture perfect face. He didn’t associate with the religious leaders, nor did he dress as John the baptizer in rustic clothing typical of humble status. Jesus did not use any material or physical accoutrements to impress people. He was and is the living Word of God.

Then he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ … Again he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ … he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.[14]

These are not the words of a passive person as defined in modern psychology. Jesus was fully aware of what confronted him, he had no death wish, he wasn’t indifferent, and certainly would have avoided the cross and rejection, if there had been any other way. It is evident that the passivity seen in Jesus was not weakness. Jesus humbled himself for the good of others.

Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘You say so.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?’ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.^[15]

The impact of Jesus’ passivity facing a life or death situation was an amazement to Pilate. It was most unusual for an accused “criminal” not to speak in his own defense. It wasn’t his purpose to successfully defend himself against the accusations of the Jewish leaders, though he had that ability. He didn’t endeavour to persuade Pilate that he was undeserving of death, though it appears that Pilate was looking for reason to release him. Even on the cross, as the religious elite scorned him saying, “Come down from the cross, and we’ll believe,” or “He saved other, he can’t save himself.” To the soldiers Jesus was just another criminal –until his death, “…when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this man was God's Son!’[16]

In the world we live in, we are surrounded by injustice. World leaders lie, and manipulate events for personal gain. There are scenes of anarchy, there are scenes of murder and brutality. There is poverty, starvation, and disease. There are perpetrators of heinous crimes. Less publicized are acts of kindness, and generosity. To be like Jesus we should quietly and unobtrusively do good.

---

[1] Isa 53:7 

[2] https://dictionary.cambridge.org

[3] psychologydictionary.org

[4] Joh 10:17, 18

[5] Mat 26:52, 53

[6] Mat 5:38-42

[7] Mat 5:43-45

[8] Rom 12:19-21

[9] Php 2:3-8

[10] Act 16:35-39

[11] 1Ki 1:30-35

[12] Mat 21:5, Zec 9:9

[13] Isa 53:2 

[14] Mat 26:38, 39, 42, 44

[15] Mat 27:11-14

[16] Mat 27:54 

Jesus Now!

“Jesus now”, might strike some people as a pointless saying. However I would argue that it is an important statement on the difference between sentimentality and conviction. It recognizes the need to ask, how does Jesus want me to respond? rather than, what would Jesus have done? The parables of Jesus focused on what people understood; they were about farming and everyday situations –situations, which differ vastly from ours today. The parables were not Jesus’ only communication, his life was the message.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.[1]

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…[2]

The writer of Hebrews stated that he was writing in the last days. In another place the author speaks of Jesus who, “appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.”[3] Paul speaking of times past said, “These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”[4]

Paul recognized he was living in the last days, and wrote to the believers in Corinth about the temporary nature of special gifts and the superiority of love;

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.[5]

Noting the short-term nature of supernatural gifts, Paul indicated that believers at that time were in a transitional stage. The period through which they were passing had two bo-na fide means of worshipping God; Judaism in its last days, and Christianity in its infancy. The striking conclusion of Paul’s dissertation on love was, Prophecies were to end, speaking in tongues would cease, and knowledge would end. But, “faith, hope, and love abide.”

The scriptures are traditionally divided into Old and New Testaments. That is a very confusing division that gives rise to numerous erroneous doctrines. The classification of ancient scriptures as Old Testament, suggests that God had nothing to do with people other than the Israelites, which we know is not correct. Israel according to Paul was advantaged by being given God’s word. Israel was special, its purpose was to protect God’s promise that the Messiah would come through Abraham’s lineage. That promise was fulfilled according to Peter,

And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, 'And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.[6]

God made a covenant with Israel at Sinai. The word of God was proclaimed by prophets. Written down for the Israelites, looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Jeremiah prophesied that a second covenant would be given to Israel, different to the one at Sinai. The second covenant would be spiritual, and embrace all nations.

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.[7]

Jesus lived under the first covenant, his death ushered in the new covenant. Israel would be transformed from a physical material kingdom to a spiritual kingdom. The kingdom of heaven was prominent in the teaching of Jesus. That spiritual kingdom would come of age, with the cessation the temple sacrifices. The destruction of the temple circa 70 CE was the end of the age for ancient Israel, the end to sacrifices, and the end of first covenant. The books of the so called New Testament were written in the period of transition, and directed to people living during that period. The conditions and circumstances of the transitional period were unique and called for specific instructions for the believer to navigate those times. There was difficulty understanding that Judaism was ending and the new religion of Jesus was starting. Paul was accused of rejecting the Law of Moses. When in Jerusalem, he was instructed to demonstrate that he kept the traditions of Israel, and followed the Jewish ways –that he did. His actions were not to satisfy the Jewish leaders, but to demonstrate his unity with Jewish Christians.

… Then they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the law. They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. So do what we tell you…[8]

“Jesus Now”, means to relate to Jesus in our own time and circumstances. If we base our connection to Jesus solely on events that occurred in his lifetime there is a danger we may be out of touch with him now. Certainly we must keep Jesus the man as our prime example, as the scripture says,

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.[9]

Focusing on “Jesus Now”, embraces not just his humanity, but his divinity as well. In our struggles Jesus is our example, “…for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The exemplary life of Jesus is what we must strive to emulate. The disciple’s task is not simply to learn the teaching of his master, but to become like him. The best way to become like Jesus is to have a relationship with him. We can learn about Jesus by looking back to when he lived on earth, realizing our relationship has to be with the living Son of God. We believe that Jesus lived on earth and obeyed his Father’s will. We believe the gospels represent the life of Jesus truthfully. More than that our faith is in the living Christ. We are to be guided by the Logos; the life of Jesus, the teaching of Jesus, and a relationship with the living Lord. The apostle John saw and wrote about the victory of God over evil; the victory of the kingdom of God over the kingdom of Satan. The kingdom of Israel gave birth to the kingdom of heaven, but it was through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that Satan and sin were overcome.

What was so exceptional about Jeremiah’s prophecy? It would be different to the covenant of Sinai. The new covenant would not be written on stone, but on the human heart. There would be no requirement for sacrifice. God said, “I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”

God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.[10]

The terms of the new covenant differ from the first. The writer of Hebrews referring to Jeremiah’s prophecy, said, “In speaking of "a new covenant," he has made the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.”[11] With the cessation of sacrifice due to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem the first covenant ended. The key feature of the first covenant was the sacrifice of atonement; without the temple there could be no sacrifice. At the passing of the first covenant, the second covenant, based on the sacrifice of Jesus, came into full effect.

As I view Christian practices I do not see evidence of the spiritual covenant. It is not obvious to me that God’s laws are embedded in the hearts of believers, nor do I see confidence of forgiveness. What is evident, is a greater similarity with temple worship, and adherence to laws and rituals. I realize I am generalizing and that there are exceptions. I am however, looking at the big picture, the vast majority, and I cannot see the difference between current practices and those required by the first covenant. My father-in-law emphasized that in many cases when Paul referred to “the Law”, there was no definite article or capitalization. Paul’s angst over being under law, was that it nullified grace. The point I’m making is that “law” or other words used in its place, such as regulations, or policies, have the same effect. A relationship with Jesus has to be based on faith. Confidence comes from an association with Jesus now, supported by the words of ancient scriptures.

To be able to quote many scriptures is a talent, to mature in God’s word is a necessity. There is a passage in Hebrews which has always interested me, partly because of what it says, and partly because no one seems to pay any attention to it.

…you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.[12]

The definition of spiritual maturity given by the writer is, having one’s senses trained to discern good and evil. That maturity comes from practice. The admonition in this passage is to strive for maturity. Spiritual immaturity is having to keep going over basic teachings. This concept is quite remarkably ignored by the greater population of churches. Most churches subject their members to the constant repetition of doctrines, and efforts to convert any non-member who may be in attendance. We should take note of the topics the writer considered elementary, “…repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” –Not a catalogue of rudimentary doctrines in any church I know. The purpose of any church should be, to support the maturation process of all believers. I can think of nothing more important.

Peter and John were brought before the religious elite of Judaism. The rulers, elders and scribes, and no fewer than four men of high-priestly descent. The two fishermen, disciples of Jesus, faced a daunting task addressing that audience. Peter and John responded to the questions, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”[13] Their demeanor and speech were not what was expected. “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”[14] Today, the challenge for a believer is to be recognized as having a relationship with Jesus, the living Lord. That task is hindered by the demands of institutional churches. Christianity is associated with churches, and that’s a problem. Peter and John were recognized as having been with Jesus, they weren’t noticed because they belonged to a certain group. Too often, a person’s piety is associated with church attendance. There are threats of eternal damnation if one leaves “the flock” –a church. Nowhere in scripture will you find that church attendance has anything to do with the hope offered through Christ. I don’t believe it matters if a person attends, or belongs, to a church. It is not impossible, but very difficult, to achieve spiritual maturity in a church, because the task to be like Jesus gets mixed up with commitment to the church and its programs.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.[15]

Abraham lived by faith, and is the father of the faithful.[16] Paul writing to the Galatians used an allegory to make his point,

… For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. …. Now you, my friends, are children of the promise, like Isaac. But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the scripture say? "Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman." So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.[17]

We are children of the free women. The promise was given long before the Law of Moses, and was not affected by law. We are free by faith in God’s promise through Jesus. Looking back to what Paul wrote concerning a time limit on prophecy and knowledge, we can appreciate his concluding remark on the permanency of faith, hope, and love. Those elements are basic to a spiritual life. Striving to be like Jesus is not advanced by ritual, or by knowledge, but through a faithful relationship with Jesus now.

God has stated, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”[18] In a different letter Paul asserted that, “…we walk by faith, not by sight.”[19] These statements are not clichés, they insightfully disclose the nature of spiritual life. No matter how much we know of the past or present, we know little of the future with absolute certainty –that depends on faith. Acceptance of God based on the collected evidence of his existence alone, is not what God requires of us.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. …without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.[20]

I have heard people say, “I have faith, but not blind faith!” I’m sure their intention was to suggest that their faith was well-founded. However, Paul’s words suggest the opposite, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” If the road ahead is clearly marked out, and one proceeds based on knowledge –that is not faith. Faith may be supported by what we know and learn, but faith does not dependent on knowledge. Following laws or regulations from a previous religious era is not walking by faith, it’s seeking to be righteous through what you do.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’[21]

Jesus told his followers that by continuing in his word, they would know the truth, and that truth would set them free. Does that nullify faith? Not at all, Paul reinforced that principle,

”But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”[22]

God’s word is the basis for faith, the scriptures reveal the message of hope, and principles to live by as children of God.

We know little about religious life at the time of Abraham. We understand from scripture that Abraham met Melchizedek, Priest of God and king of Salem, on his return from a battle with the five kings. On that occasion Melchizedek blessed Abraham in the name of “God Most High, maker of heaven and earth.”[23] Abraham honoured Melchizedek by giving him a tenth of everything. From what is written, that was Abraham’s only encounter with God’s priest. Abraham had a personal relationship with God, “’Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God.”[24] This is important because Abraham is the father of the faithful. To him, God made the promise of blessing though one of his descendants. We are recipients of that promise. The first covenant given at Sinai did not negate the promise. The Israelites lived under the Sinai covenant and Law. Jesus as promised, came into the world; he was sacrificed as an atonement for sin. Jesus was raised from the dead, giving hope, and life. The new covenant was ratified through Jesus’ blood. Through the period of transition, God communicated with believers through his spirit, supporting the gospel with miracles and signs. The old covenant ended with the temple’s destruction; the new covenant became of full force at the same time. Under the new covenant, we have a relationship with God through Jesus. As the children of Abraham we live by faith. We learn from, but are not regulated the Law of Moses, or edicts given to believers in the period of transition.

---

[1] Joh 1:1 

[2] Heb 1:1-3

[3] Heb 9:26

[4] 1Co 10:11 

[5] 1Co 13:8-13

[6] Act 3:24-26

[7] Jer 31:31-34

[8] Act 21:20-23

[9] Heb 12:1, 2

[10] 1Jn 4:9, 10

[11] Heb 8:13 

[12] Heb 5:11-6:3

[13] Act 4:7

[14] Act 4:13 

[15] Gal 3:26-29

[16] Rom 4:13 

[17] Gal 4:21-31

[18] Rom 1:17

[19] 2Co 5:7 

[20] Heb 11:1, 6 

[21] Joh 8:31, 32

[22] Rom 10:16 

[23] Gen 14:19

[24] Jas 2:23 

The Sky is Falling

The story of King Canute and the tide is an apocryphal anecdote illustrating the piety or humility of King Canute the Great, recorded in the 12th century by Henry of Huntingdon.

In the story, Canute demonstrates to his flattering courtiers that he has no control over the elements (the incoming tide), explaining that secular power is vain compared to the supreme power of God. The episode is frequently alluded to in contexts where the futility of "trying to stop the tide" of an inexorable event is pointed out, but usually misrepresenting Canute as believing he had supernatural powers, when Huntingdon's story in fact relates the opposite.[1]

Fear mongering — whether justified or not — can sometimes elicit a societal response called Chicken Little syndrome, described as "inferring catastrophic conclusions possibly resulting in paralysis". It has also been defined as "a sense of despair or passivity which blocks the audience from actions". The term began appearing in the 1950s and the phenomenon has been noted in many different societal contexts.

These two accounts, widely different and often misrepresented, carry some very sound advice. It is my observation that when evidence for an event is lacking, proponents resort to calamitous claims. In the story of King Cnut, his purpose was to demonstrate that kings had no special powers. He successfully proved he was powerless to stop the tide. The story also indicates that humans are incapable of changing the course of nature. The industry sector that most frequently uses the “Chicken Little Syndrome” is the climate change conglomerate.

The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.[2]

There it is, “the sky is falling!” It is obvious that there is change in the climate. There is change in the frequency of volcanic eruptions, and in the frequency of earthquakes. It is also plain to see that ice is melting in the Polar Regions. For us that poses a problem, especially for places like Florida built on a sand bar. The phosphate mines in Florida retrieve phosphate from sand that was once ocean floor. From the same sand one can find shark and whale’s teeth along with other evidence that the Florida Pan Handle was once part of the ocean. Not only in the southern US, there is abundant evidence that arctic islands were once tropical. Various warm climate animals have been unearthed on those islands. There is also evidence of large forests that existed a very long time ago.

There appears to be a significant number of indicators and evidence showing that the climate on earth long ago was considerably warmer than many regions today. What climate change fanatics are really concerned about is the affect climate change may have on what has come to be accept as normal. But then, what is normal? The normal for climate change proponents is easy money taken from gullible believers in their cause. It’s the self-righteous religion of people who think they can “stem the tide” and stop the cycle of climate conditions. The temperature is getting warmer, depending on when one begins to measure it. The climate models are likely biased to give the results needed to promote panic. It’s not surprising that some of the strongest proponents of climate change are pantheists. This to them is indeed a religion. What if we took the evidence from long ago that proves the climate on earth was globally tropical, would that not suggest that the earth is returning to its natural state?

Another story that comes to mind regarding climate change is, “The King’s New Clothes”. In that story it took a little child to bring people to their senses, “the king was naked” he’d been duped, and everyone except that one child was likewise duped into going along with the stupidity of the king’s ignorance. What the world needs now is for a young child to expose the gross over-reaction of scientists on a mission. That mission is not to save the world, but mostly to keep them employed in an endless endeavour.

King Cnut wanted people to realize that only God had the power to control nature. It doesn’t matter to me how many scientists and people in general believe the sky is falling. What bothers me are those claiming to be Christian and yet buy into the idolatry of climate change. In the beginning God charged the first people to tend, or look after, the garden. We have to be responsible, we need to look after the garden, or our part of it. Many early cultures saw storms, eruptions, or earth quakes as warnings from gods. A prolonged drought, or fierce storm meant the gods were not pleased with them. A good harvest meant that people were in the good graces of their gods. I don’t believe in primitive gods, I do believe in the God. Climate scientists want people to follow them, and to support their goals. Few of those scientists have any piety, they are gods unto themselves. Yet, the Alberta government is planning legislation, “Alberta scientists will be protected from 'those who would seek to undermine them'”.[3] Obviously the government’s policies must be flakey, if the scientists behind them can’t stand up for themselves. That’s how stupid we have become; that science has to be protected by law. True science is proven by challenge, not by protection.

Those who believe in God, look to him for strength and purpose. No matter how in vogue the climate cause appears; it is a human cause, it is not spiritual, and does not promote spirituality. The believer’s faith is in God.

…the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him![4]

---

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org

[2] www.theguardian.com

[3] CBC

[4] Hab 2:20