Recently I learned about the movie Citizen Kane. It’s the “life story” of a media mogul who influences the country through his papers.

Unfortunately, this “learning” followed on the heels of me reading or hearing about other books that describe how our idea of history has been greatly influenced by the way text books and articles are written.

In other words, what we read and how it’s written shapes our view far more than we realize.

Bryan and I were discussing this idea the other day, and in frustration I finally cried out, “How can I believe anything I read!? History’s always written by the winners, so who knows what’s really going on?! Only God sees the whole picture and knows the truth of it all!”

His response stopped me in my tracks.

He said, “I guess that actually is a good thing because Who will be the ultimate winner and Who will write the final history filling in all the blanks?” …

I have not been quiet in my feelings on the Corona virus and all that’s occurring because of it. I have tried to be careful and not judgmental in my comments and discussion. But I know I am not perfect and have probably hurt or offended many people. I am truly sorry.

My desire has never been to divide or anger any one.

I want to see the Body of Christ united around the banner of Jesus the King. I want to see the Kingdom of God flourish and overtake the darkness.
I want to see the glory of God fill the earth and His praise rise to the heavens.
I want to see justice for the downtrodden, hope for those in despair, healing for those who are wounded, help for those who are in need, and joy for those who are alive.
I want to see rich and poor, young and old, every race and every color come together in Jesus and thrive like they have never thrived before.

That’s why I have not been silent.

I understand that many true believers out there are seeing things from a different perspective. And I agree with you, in many ways the Church is not being singled out and therefore, isn’t being persecuted. I agree with you we are called to submit to our governing authorities … for the most part I would say. And I think under the right circumstances most would agree there are those times when we are called to disobey. I agree with you there is a real virus and real people have died and real people are at risk. We agree on those things.

But here’s where I think we disagree.

I do not see this as a fight against persecution or economy/money over life. I see this as a fight for justice and truth. A fight against injustice for millions of American.

As a Christian when I read the Bible I see a God who is just, who loves justice, and who desires His people to do justly. Justice ultimately is a good thing and blesses the people who live by it. (Micah 6:8, Amos 5:15, 24)

I want to see justice in America again.

Justice for the people dying in hospitals alone because no one’s allowed to be with them anymore.
Justice for the families who were forced to say goodbye without one last touch, one last kiss, one last hug.
Justice for the small business owners who spent years scraping, working, sweating just to see their business destroyed by one stroke of an executive pen.
Justice for the children who lost their last line of defense because they’ve been forced into lockdown instead of being in school where they can be seen by other adults (thankfully that’s not most children’s situation but I understand there are those few).
Justice for those who rightly and respectfully protest but have been labeled “terrorist,” “nazis,” and “entitled” by the media and others who don’t understand.
Justice for the relationships that have been destroyed because we are losing the art of ‘how to agree to disagree’ on anything in life, including this virus.
Justice for those who have been living in absolute fear for the last few months instead of enjoying the life they’ve been given.
Justice for the children sitting at home lonely because they’re not allowed to play with friends yet.
Justice for the lockdown birthday parties, weddings, and funerals where no one or very few are allowed to gather and celebrate, gather and have fun, gather and mourn.
Justice for the hospitals who are unable to see patients, doctors and nurses who are getting furloughed, and the rest of society who were told for about six or more weeks that their specific jobs weren’t “essential” and they are “selfish” for wanting to work.
Justice for the people who have been hurting and waiting for two months now because their surgeries weren’t “essential” enough.
Justice for those who are willing to speak out and question decisions only to have their lives and reputations completely tarnished by others.
Justice for the freedoms (that our own Constitution guarantees) that we have lost and the major struggle being experienced as we fight to get them back.

I don’t see this as a fight against life but a fight for life. For the quality of life that is being destroyed for millions in our country and billions around the world.

I could be wrong. Like I said before, I am not perfect. I make mistakes. But this is why I’m speaking out. This is why I cannot stay silent.

And honestly, you may still disagree with me and think something completely different about this virus, the world, and what needs to happen next. And that’s ok. We don’t have to agree on everything.

The reality is that neither one of us sees the whole picture. Both of us have our biases and faulty thinking somewhere. I’m missing some parts of the story, and so are you.

Ultimately, what I think or even what you think doesn’t really matter.

What God thinks about all this is what matters.

One day God will be shown as the Ultimate Winner. He will rewrite the history books and fill in the blanks. Finally with open eyes we will see His plan from beginning to end just as He does. And as we read God’s version of the story, His wisdom, His mercy, His grace, and His justice will astound us! And we will probably be just as amazed at our own foolishness and blindness. And we’ll realize we couldn’t have planned out the story of the world any better ourselves.

And we will declare with the angels in heaven – Holy is the Lord God Almighty! The whole earth is filled with His glory!

God is the Ultimate Victor who gets the final say on history, and I for one am so thankful.