Wars and Rumors of War with North Korea




A boy and his younger sister were playing at the beach, doing what kids do in the sand—building castles and creating imaginary people out of small shells, sticks and smooth stones.  

For these kids, their world is limited in ways they can’t fully appreciate. At night, they sleep securely in their home and by day, there's ample food in the cupboards. Their parents take care of business so they can concentrate on what kids need to do—grow up.





Across the ocean from these sandcastles, is a place where children work listlessly in fields or factories, sleep in crude shacks and are fed a steady diet of lies from their tyrannical leaders. North Korea, a nuclear-capable rogue nation, now has an inexperienced leader promulgating a war-mongering manifesto, escalating global tensions.



North Korean soldiers attend military drills. Photograph: Kcna/Reuters

I watched as the young boy amassed an army of rocks in defense of his fortified sandcastle. War games. Somehow boys are hardwired to defend.

I wonder about North Korean boys—the ones who believe Americans are enemies and the cause of their misery. Many grow up and become part of the North Korean war machine. Recent news footage showed grim-faced young soldiers shooting cardboard American soldiers.







On the Mount of Olives, Jesus warned about wars and rumors of wars. He didn’t create a timeline, but told people to read the signs—forewarning us about the wars, persecution, false prophets, and evil that will cause love to grow cold.

The 21st Century global concerns aren’t much different from those Jesus spoke of during that time. Same evil. Same warning signs for God’s people to see. Since Jesus spoke those words centuries ago, every generation has wondered if they would see the end.

We may be able to stop Kim Jong Un but there’s nothing we can do to stop Jesus’ return. That’s why Jesus was less concerned about the wars and more focused on getting people ready for His return. Warning signs tell us to be mindful and be ready. Ignoring the signs won't change the danger ahead, nor does it stop the cosmic countdown.


I watched the waves creep closer to the kid’s sandcastles. In the fading light, we picked up the pails and small shovels and made our way towards home. 

Turning back to look at the setting sun, I watched the waves erase all signs of the sandy civilization that had been there minutes before. One day evil will be wiped away too. I lift my eyes to heaven and sense  the desperate prayers of those who hope Jesus comes soon. Until then we do what Jesus asked—prepare and warn others.



Popular posts from this blog

Dreaming the Dream

Image
Dreaming big dreams about the future is easy for kids. The only thing standing in the way is time.  Kid’s dreams are not about skills, or opportunities, or even practicality. Those things come much later.  My grandson hopes to be professional soccer player when he grows up. This week, a small piece of his dream came true when his Boys and Girls Club was invited to participate in pre-game activities with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.  He got to suit up in a real jersey and walk on the field with a real pro player. Imagine a young soccer player looking up to who he hopes to be one day. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to a child about their future dreams—you should.  They believe. As we get older we sometimes forget that dreams fuel our hopes—and that's something we all need. So, do you still dream? Or have you left those childhood thoughts behind?  S pending time with children will  inspire you to believe agai
Read more

Sexy Selfies: Posting for attention

Image
We’ve all seen the “selfie” pix on Facebook—those self-taken images in varying forms of dress (or undress). Usually they’re female poses taken in public restrooms, dressing rooms, bedrooms, and lots of what used to be private space. Thanks to selfies and social media, it’s open season on privacy—and modesty. Do you have a social media “friend” who has become a serial selfie? Most often selfies are young girls sharing their sexiness with the world. Serial selfies post hundreds of pictures, so it’s hard to ignore the display. The question is why do they do it. While I don’t approve of the sexy display of serial selfies, insecurity is at the root. Selfies collect “likes” to boost morale. The attention received is like a balm to their broken spirits. But the dark side of exhibitionism is feeling used—not unlike the girl searching for love and giving away her body in hopes of finding love. Selfies seek approval. They're locked in a perpetual cycle of posting pi
Read more

Wild or Tame? Which One Are You?

Image
Finally! Research that explains why I act the way I do. Columbia University’s Motivational Science Center studied people’s activities and what brought them the most happiness. Even more telling were how those activities changed as they aged. Twenty-somethings tend to equate happiness with high-energy activities. Words like excited and ecstatic are usually attached to spontaneous things—even risky things—and living life full throttle.  Researchers labeled this Promotion Motivation —the urge to take chances, including career moves that may not work out. Happiness comes from happenings—the more happenings, the more happiness. By age forty, adults associate happiness with things running smoothly at work and home. It’s also about feeling secure in relationships. Keeping healthy matters more too. This behavior is called Prevention Motivation —and people are more concerned with preserving and maintaining the things they value. It appears that time ofte
Read more