38th Edition
December 26, 2023
The Patriot
I’m not a big fan of the movie industry today. I often joke that the last movie I went to was The Sting, which came out in 1973, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Great movie. One of my all-time favorites. More recently, another one of my favorite movies is The Patriot starring Mel Gibson. Whenever I watch a movie about history, I always imagine myself during that time span. Would I have made a good patriot during the time of the American Revolution? Back in those historic times a true patriot, in essence, believed in freedom and fought against tyranny. He was a person of faith, was devoted to family, and never shied way from hard work.
Fast forward two hundred and fifty years, what would define a true patriot today? Let me give that a shot…
Today, a true patriot would still fight for freedom and oppose tyranny. He would understand that personal freedom and individual rights come with responsibilities, and that team success is much more rewarding and sustainable than individual accomplishment. He would still be a person of faith, be devoted to family, as well as the greater community, and he would be willing to work hard in order to be self-sufficient, but also to be able to contribute to the greater good.
Moreover, a true patriot would understand the enemy of all these essential values. To be successful in any battle one must clearly identify the enemy and analyze his strengths, weaknesses, and overall strategy. But who is the enemy today? A few questions come to mind..
1. What forces are attacking our freedom today?
2. What forces are trying to make us dependent instead of self-sufficient?
3. What forces are trying to undermine our faith in God?
4. What other God’s have these forces created?
5. How are these forces undermining our families and what structures or institutions are they replacing it with?
It may be that the enemy isn’t one person or one group, but multiple forces all working to accomplish a common goal. What might that common goal be? Perhaps a better way to approach all this would be to try to complete this sentence – The enemy is any person, group, or ideology that…
Ø Pushes God aside or replaces God with a false God.
Ø Seeks to divide, confuse, and replace truth with falsehood.
Ø Elevate those in power, or the state, above individual rights and responsibilities.
Ø Replaces teaching, mentoring, and free expression with indoctrination and thought control.
Ø Normalizes anger and intolerance while rejecting compassion and grace.
Perhaps today, we need discernment more than anything else. We have to understand what is at stake in this American culture war. Who and what are we fighting against? Apathy is the enemy’s best friend. Ignoring the situation is a close relative.
It is also important to realize that the enemy is clever. It is in it for the long run. It will use anything in its arsenal to confuse, alienate, and divide our country. It sure looks like the enemy is winning, doesn’t it?
The army of true patriots may be on the defensive today. But they will ultimately win. Freedom will always triumph over tyranny, even in its modern-day form. Our inherent goodness, our common humanity, and the natural law of our Heavenly Father will see us through, in God’s good time.
Meanwhile it is up to each of us to think long and hard about how we might become a patriot in some impactful way. Today, this might mean getting involved locally, striving to make a difference in our community or neighborhood. Perhaps we should concentrate on what can be done, not on what can’t. We should hold our leaders accountable as well as ourselves. Be part of the solution. And never give up the fight.
Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, say tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks
Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.