Perilous Times Are Upon Us

Here we are – just as was prophesied long ago, at the end of this age, we are in perilous times. This is not a seven year tribulation based on dispensational theology. It is the real deal with an end in sight. We just don’t know when it will end. When it does reach the conclusion, there will be a very sudden and dramatic shift in the governance of this world.

We shrink back and shake our heads over all the mass shootings in the US, and yet we are experiencing gun violence in multiple communities throughout BC. This phenomena is not just in the areas of high crime and poverty, but can erupt anywhere. It’s not just the night time brawls, drunken rages, and senseless acts of violence after the bars close. We now face the prospect of shootings in broad daylight – in malls, parking lots, schools, banks, and other public places.

I was trying to imagine what must be going through the mind of a shooter, but it is almost impossible to fathom what brings a person to such a state. If it is a gang rival, it is part of the turf, and the people involved know they could be targeted.

If it is a simmering revenge killing, it removes us from the line of fire, if we have nothing to do with the plot or the problem. But even so – we are caught in the crossfire of fear in our minds.

One of the recent shootings targeted two women, the mother of the shooter’s child, and an ex girlfriend. Apparently there was an upcoming court date set for an assault alleging an attempted strangulation. Just taking the general information from what is reported in the news, in my opinion, the guy should have been in custody for such a serious assault. If he had been in custody until after the court date, the tragedy might have been averted.

From the perspective of female victims, it might have been safer for them to seek shelter away from each other in a secure building, as opposed to staying together in a house. It’s hard to believe that a man with such a violent record was roaming the streets, driving a vehicle, and carrying weapons. His final act of desperation was to take his own life, which may bring some relief, but it does not lessen the grief for those affected by such horrific homicidal rage.

Few things cause more danger to the public, than a person who has lost value for his or her own life. Some will internalize their depression and anger. Others will externalize it with violence, rage and blame – for they cannot see themselves inwardly. Therefore, the fire burning in them is one that is all consuming. It will spread its flames, and destroy whoever comes into their path.

The recent shootings in Langley, with a different motive to target the homeless, leaves us stunned at the senseless attacks upon vulnerable people.

We as a society are burdened with a judgemental attitude toward the poor and addicted. Yet if we are honest, we will admit, we stand on the precipice of the unforeseen, with the potential for catastrophic failure and loss as well.

If we set aside our vanity, and acknowledge the fragility of our existence, we will soon realize that we too, can be pounded into the dust of the earth, and cast out as dirt in the street.

None of us know when the ultimate calamity will strike. If there is a massive earthquake, we will all be destitute in a pile of rubble, wandering the streets in shock and dismay. Therefore we should never judge the poor, or those who are broken. We are only a hair’s breadth, or a heartbeat away from our own fate.

One of the central problems, is in the propensity for humans to seek superiority over others. If we have more wealth, more beauty, greater intellect, good jobs, stature, and financial backing – then surely we will be safe, or so we think.

Peril wears many disguises, and we fear violence, especially random acts of violence. We fear what we have no control over, and day by day, we realize how little control we do have.

The antidote to fear and anxiety is faith. We have come to a point where we have to live by faith, not blind faith, but faith in the gospel of Christ and what it teaches us. In the last days perilous times shall come. We can look up those verses and see exactly how it is described.

Deception is our greatest enemy. We cannot live by faith if we do not know or discern the truth. The media is rife with deception, and getting worse by the day. Many of the churches are steeped in false doctrine. If you listen to sermons on youtube, you will find nine out of ten are preaching false doctrine.

We are witnessing an unprecedented homeless crisis, but it is far greater than being without shelter. It is an exhibit of impoverished souls slipping in and out of existence, seeking escape where there is no hope. It is a roller coaster cycle for survival, with no rhyme or reason, where the only appointment is with death.

In a previous generation, people came to Canada and homesteaded the land. The conditions were rough, often with large families living in a one room cabin, or even a chicken coop. The difference is that people would still go out and chop wood, feed the chickens, milk the cows, or whatever needed to be done to stay warm and put food on the table.

Now, we have people in large numbers who cannot even work. They are ravaged by the damages done to their brains and central nervous systems by drugs. We see young people on the streets who show as much damage to the brain as stroke victims in long term care. Yet because they cannot care for themselves, and have no one to care for them, there is a loss of dignity. For those who have serious addictions – they need care. But how can faltering systems take care of so many people?

Violent people require intervention and monitoring. The majority of the addicted and mentally ill are not violent. No one is more vulnerable than those who are on the streets, because there are violent people among them. The meek have no protection against unbridled aggression.

The most obvious sign of a truly deranged and mentally ill person – is constant violent, and out of control rage. As a pattern of behaviour, they invent and fuel their own rage, and then look for someone to blame it on.

Anyone who is in a constant or frequent state of rage, especially when combined with violent outbursts, as in a loss of self-control, both physically and verbally – is a dangerous person. If they are disinhibited by drugs or alcohol, the situation is even more volatile.

It is one thing to be angry, and often anger is justified. But violence, or unlawful revenge is never justified. The purpose of anger is to make a grievance known through proper channels of communication. Anyone who threatens violence, or acts out, or screams and curses out of control, needs urgent treatment. More so, the community around them needs to be protected.

Mental illness education often revolves around depression and anxiety, but there should be a more efficient way of triaging the mentally ill, so those who are full of rage are prioritized for immediate intervention. It seems so many of those who commit such terrible crimes, show signs of impending and rampant violence well before the finale. Yet no one does a damn thing about it, until they go on a violent murderous rampage. There needs to be more focus on prevention in all aspects of health care, but none so important as with the mentally ill who are rumbling with rage, like a volcano ready to erupt.

It is interesting to note, the field of psychiatry was not defined as such until 1808, with the earliest practices beginning around 1850. Prior to that, those who treated the mentally ill, were called alienists, which is actually kind of comical. It does not mean they treated aliens, but rather refers to mental alienation.

Psychiatry itself has a rather sordid history. From its over zealous accusations as a psychological political weapon, to assaults on sane people during the fascist eras of Mussolini and Hitler, to the abuse and experimentation on all kinds of unsuspecting patients – it has no rival.

People have been subjected to aberrant torture, to include lobotomies, electric shock therapies, insulin shock, sleep deprivation, large doses of LSD, drug induced severe and intractable movement disorders, and many other debilitating atrocities, all under the guise of psychiatry.

In addition to the nefarious history behind the profession, the now infamous Arthur Sackler, a psychiatrist, created aggressive and deceptive marketing strategies for the pharmaceutical industry.

Prior to the upsurge of psychiatric diagnostics in the 1800’s, they just locked people into asylums, and went so far as to chain people to trees.

Later on they developed a propensity for straight jackets, which were used until the mid-seventies (1970’s). Even now, sometimes people have to be into a four point restraint. They use leather straps that are fastened to a stretcher.

Meanwhile more and more chemical restraints have been developed, and  are now used to subdue violent and out of control people. Sometimes, the person is so out of control, they have to be intubated, and put into a drug induced coma for behaviour control. It is therefore very important for people to control their own behaviour, so someone does not have to do it for them.

Even in my own life, in seeking peace, and freedom from fear of violence, I did not find it through any counsellors or self-help books. The remedy for me was found in the Bible. Not only are we assured of God’s care, and adherence to truth. We are also assured there will be justice, especially for the poor and downtrodden. We are protected, our souls are upheld, and our fear is diminished.

We are entering a time where we must acknowledge God. We cannot live in pride and deception forever. We cannot face the future without anxiety and fear, if we do not trust God, for there is no other path to redemption.

The more polarized we become, the greater the us against them mentality becomes. The elite seem to think they deserve their wealth. They expect they will always be protected behind stone walls of conceit, high gates, and high tech security systems. Yet it can all be gone in an instant.

We tend to think in terms of our physical safety. Meanwhile we allow our souls to be ravaged and given over to the deceptive evils of this world. We tremble in fear at the thought of being cornered in an alleyway, or stairwell by some raging lunatic. Yet the daily anxiety and stress of it all, might eat away at us, until we are sick and hopeless, just worrying about what might happen.

We naturally want to protect ourselves and our loved ones against physical assault, especially getting shot, because it tends to be lethal. But we don’t always give the same level of protection and concern when it comes to safeguarding our soul – yet it is the most important aspect of our existence.

Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. Who should dominate over us? Who has the right to dominate the mind, will and emotions of another human being? No one does. It does not stop them from trying though – therefore we have to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” in order to recognize the  more dangerous and destructive plots against our soul.

Be wary of the fact that violence can be translated into psychological, emotional and spiritual abuse, with a soul-destroying vengeance. The more clever these methods, the more they get away with, since they leave no physical marks. But according to the Bible, such assaults are far more deadly, and of much greater consequence for the perpetrators, than those who commit acts of physical violence.

Just think – if those who are prone to violence, and those who succumb to addiction, could have found a way to protect and nourish their souls, would we be in this predicament?

God gave us free will. He also gives us many chances to repent, to change our ways, to be humbled, and to seek a relationship with Him. He does not use force, coercion, deception, or control.

Some people question why God would allow so much evil to exist in this world. It is because we have free will, and people will lean to their own inclinations, and be easily deceived if they choose to ignore God.

The advice is to turn away from evil, vanity, deception and violence – and do good. We are not meant to quit and give up, but to keep working toward good. We are often warned not to be idle. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, it was from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Even though there is a great deal of evil, the good still exists.

Therefore, our mission in this life is to figure out what is good. We are to purge deception, and oppression. We are to cultivate and show kindness, mercy and compassion, especially for the poor.

There are few gifts greater than peace of mind. God assures us he has blessed us with a sound mind, so we have strength and confidence in that regard. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control. As we delve into the teaching in the Bible, and navigate the perils of the end times – we can do good and find peace.

God hears our prayers, and values our lives. If we trust in Him, we are adopted into the family of God, and no one can pluck us out of His hand. For this we can have much gratitude, because there is no possible way we can save ourselves.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.