At Watch Along The Rhine

Mainz, Germany - December 29, 406 A.D.

A bitter, cold wind swept down from the mountain passes, chilling the soldiers camped alongside the Rhine. In the past its frigid depths had protected them, providing shelter from the assembled hordes of barbarians gathering on the other shore. This winter was different; the coldest temperatures by anyone’s memory had frozen-solid the protective boundary of the wide river, thereby creating a causeway for the enemy to advance. Their sheer numbers—Vandals, Sueby, and Alans—proved more than a match for the depleted legions of Rome’s finest that had assembled to protect their nation. What began as a retreat swiftly escalated into panic, as the Roman army, watered down in strength by an influx of conscripts, faded through the heavy, snow-clad forests.

The area of Gaul (modern France) was ravaged by the advancing horde as their mid-winter victory had forced open the doorway of destruction. Within four years, the City of Rome itself had fallen, and the era of Pax Romana was well on its way to an unmistakable end. The attackers were called barbarians, because they cared little for Roman culture, for its civilization, or its laws. They only saw the wealth of an empire ripe for the taking, and three hundred years of attempted assimilation had proven pointless, as had teaching them the Latin language. In the end, they were merely bent on pillaging and they met their goal with not-so-curious aplomb.

The Romans, on the other hand, had whistled in the dark during the final years leading up to their demise. Their citizens paid others to serve in the military in their places, those that could do so, and conscripts were used when the money ran out. A foreigner was promised much-coveted citizenship if he would only serve in the Empire’s armies for an allotted amount of time. Back home, meanwhile, the original citizens had grown fat and lazy through the influx of ‘free bread and circuses’ from their well-meaning, vote-buying politicians. As a result, freedom and liberty had been exchanged over the years for the tyranny of despots, and when at last the Eternal City fell, it seemed as though very few sincerely mourned its passing at all.

In a quote that has been attributed to many, it was actually George Santayana who coined the phrase: “Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it.”

Those same warnings from Roman history have been escalating in America for the past fifty years. We are swiftly copying that forlorn civilization by becoming a pagan, self-centered, and de-Christianized nation of faultless individuals, eager to blame all of our troubles on someone or something else. If we follow their lead, the next cuts will be to our military budget, in order to save enough money to pay for our massive entitlement programs.

Like ancient Rome, our borders are by now thinly guarded, and the open gates are of our own doing. We are taught to respect every culture but our own in the name of multiculturalism, and treat every religion with the highest, unbiased regard except for a faith involving the One True G_d. Those who speak out against these interloping talking points are shouted down, held in contempt, and called vile names with gushing media approval.

It’s really sad because in my heart I do not see a reversal of these policies on the horizon.

It’s past time for Christians to wake up and smell the coffee. It’s time to stop voting for politicians that support not only this mindset, but abortion and other sordid issues that are bent on destroying our families. We need to base our precious votes on our own core beliefs in these areas regardless of “all the good things our representative does for this district”, whichever district that may be. This is no longer simply a political matter of contention—of this party versus that party—but a question of morals and values. Yes, I know, morals or values cannot be legislated, but, by the same token they can certainly be legislated against.

Paul warns in Romans: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” If my Representative is supportive of things I know are against the precepts G_d calls for in His Word, then I can no longer vote or support him, period. Because it’s his vote that counts once Congress is in session—my vote will have been discarded along the campaign trail at that point.

Yet, as a Christian I should be mindful to pray for my elected leaders, even if I voted against them. And I should pray for the leaders of other states or districts in which I have no input. After all, Christians should be known for their prayers, not merely their political rants.

The anchor’s weighed, farewell, farewell! We’ve seen them going south. I dream ahead sometimes, and I dream with my eyes open. I’ve seen the horsemen riding in the night, and I see them by the thousands riding over a hundred battlefields, their horse’s hooves treading on dead men. I see a whole nation, struggling and struggling, swaying and swaying. I see things that people neither Democrat nor Republican have even dreamed of yet. But what am I going on about? We should be back safe and warm in our beds, sleeping soundly. – Joseph Alexander, “The Guns Of Bull Run”