The Whirlwind

Another abortion related, heavily politicized moment occurred in the news today. I try not to dwell on each and every one of them, but there’s Someone in me who won’t let up. A Senator (I don’t need to mention his name; I won’t stoop to his level) showed up at a Louisiana pro-abortion event in response to two cases from the state, about abortion, being looked at by the Supreme Court. Any time this happens, there is always a stir and a plethora of headlines from news websites across the political spectrum. Today was no different. Here is part of the hotly-discussed, argued, and retweeted quote from the New York Senator in question:

“I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

My first response is: really?

It’s so obscenely childish that a United States representative, who has been serving for a little over twenty years, would publicly preen himself with such a thinly veiled threat. Others see it as innocuous, and maybe it might be. But I believe there is clear and easily threatening language in this simple remark. He mentions two Supreme Court Justices, by name, who happen to fall in the opposite ideological direction than he does. He asserts a position of righteous fury, and declares they will “pay the price” for a decision that they maybe-could-might make regarding an important topic they have every right as sitting judges of the Supreme Court of the United States to make.

What price? You can’t impeach a court justice for a choice you don’t like, or to reinterpret a law in a manner you disagree with, and you know that (you tried it already!) So, what price? Damage to their reputation (tried that, too)? Hurting their families? Silencing their speech? There’s a lot of venom packed in this statement, to be certain. There can be no mistaking that he is implying a threat. A vague, empty, useless threat that he has no power to act on, and has received sharp criticism to boot. Anything to stir the pot…

Second response: So, considering that killing babies might possibly be the wrong thing to do is an “awful decision”?

I’ve written enough to explain why the very idea of that makes me want to scream, and there are so many other voices who can effortlessly shout down that lie, so this bully isn’t worth that.

That isn’t what really stirred me. What grabbed me was his “you have released the whirlwind” remark. That’s an over-dramatic line, but it also is a deeply idolatrous one. No, Senator, you are not the whirlwind. Your party is not the whirlwind, your supporters are not the whirlwind. The pro-abortion movement is not the whirlwind. That is a word that, more often than not, symbolizes a sheer wind of power and righteous judgement. It has never had anything to do with human effort or power.

There’s only one Judge who has the power to bring His wrath down in a whirlwind of focused, merciful and potent judgement. It will never be you or anyone who holds the “right” to kill an innocent human being as sacred, then bullies anyone who even makes a peep that it might be wrong.

There is some pretty unique timing that this statement coincided with a passage from Proverbs in the One-Year, today:

“When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,

But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.” (Proverbs 10:25)

Of course, this isn’t the only passage that portrays God’s power and judgement in a strong and mighty wind. The Book of Psalms has quite a few, and you can keep on looking and find more.

The Bible tells us Who the whirlwind comes from and Who ordains judgement on every human choice. When judgement comes, wickedness and evil will cease to be. The whirlwind will be released, withheld only to protect the righteous. When the storm passes on — only one side is left standing. Not a political party, or a denomination, but a way of living that pleases the Lord.

The whirlwind of judgement is coming, yes. There will be those who will have no idea what hit them. If they are men of integrity and righteousness until the very last, it won’t be Justices Gorsuch or Kavanaugh.

So step up, punk! The Judge will not stand for blood spilled for the cause of evil for all these decades in this country, or for millennia across the globe. The Lord will answer from the whirlwind

I’m not afraid of the whirlwind, because I know my record has been bleached cleaner than anything else.

Are you?

That’s not a threat — it’s the ultimate question every human being must stop and ask themselves, before the end.

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

“Who is this who darkens counsel

By words without knowledge?

Now prepare yourself like a man;

I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” (Job 38:1–3)