Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus the Christ,

“¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  ¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  ¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  ¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  ¹⁸  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)

“Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: ‘I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,’ says God. ‘Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.’ The Word of the Master, God.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (MSG)

Apparently, in the aftermath of the violent mayhem recently at work in our nation’s capital, at least two “groups” desire to distance themselves from the Anarchists. During the failed insurrection, a newly established News entity streamed live via smart device a few on the premises who, seemingly stunned, described that it was the such-and-so group and “not us” (not our group) that propelled the violence, broke windows, etcetera. Nevertheless, the fact that “not us” were streamed via smart device from the inner hallway of the premises, in the very midst of the surrounding mayhem, rendered its own qualifying statement. As I’ve stated elsewhere, it’s one thing to stumble oneself and an altogether different thing to stumble others; a significant number of naïve seemed led to stumble whether or not intentional. As I briefly watched the posted News stream, I wondered: why or how or what was “not us” doing in the midst of a failed insurrection? Rosa Parks and the subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott, John Lewis and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement exemplified non-violent civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is a method distinctly different from lawless confusion and political disorder. The Word of God delineates that “us” aren’t to be in the midst of the children of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6-7). For the children of God have nothing in common with the children of the devil (John 8:44; 1Jn 3:8). Why ever take a photograph with one? As per The Message (MSG) above, Christ didn’t stroll with the devil.

Speak the promise . . . Harriet