Whose fool are you?

“I’m a fool for Jesus, but whose fool are you?”

If you were not a believer or follower of Christ, then you were either a follower of the devil, a follower of the “world view” or a follower of some mere mortal doomed to disappoint you if not hurt you.

The message about “whose fool you are” is undoubtedly timely, today being April Fool’s Day as well as for this Holy Week, but even more so in an era and generation being fed fake news, subjected to media manipulation and deep fakes.

That does not even tackle AI, the army of Maritess, not to mention the now unsubstantiated claims and posturing of superpowers regarding their benevolence and invincibility.

Whether it is about faith or about politics, truth often comes to the surface only under fire or after being placed in fire. During World War II, in the Battle of Bataan, Lt. Col. William T. Cummings is famously quoted as saying: “There are no atheists in foxholes.”

Like the prophet Jonah, you could try to run away or get as far away as possible from God’s calling, especially when you don’t agree with his agenda or his business model of forgiving people who deserve to fry!

Or perhaps live like the prodigal son or Roman soldiers and gladiators, you declare: “Tonight we eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” And then you wake up, still with the same set of circumstances and God gently nudging you, saying, “Remember Me?”

One lesson I learned: you can run but you can’t hide from God and no matter how smart, skilled or fast you are, God still catches up with you. Let’s just hope that when he does, you’re still in the flesh and with options.

So why is it that there are no atheists in foxholes, why are followers of Christ, at the risk of being labeled “fools,” many martyred, remain constant in their declaration of faith in spite of the brutality of men and wars?

Experience, they say, is the best teacher. We have five senses and with each of them we can experience, learn and know what is. I chose to omit the word “true” because what we sense is what it is.

You can sense that someone is a liar, a thief or a lazy man, but that won’t be so until you find proof or evidence of the act or non-action. While many scriptures and spiritual texts talk about unquestioning faith, we as human all seek or demand evidence of our faith.

I have often said that I am an experiential writer, meaning I write about what I have experienced, encountered or learned from others. With great difficulty, I have also tested or put to test certain concepts or teachings given by others.

You may even be surprised that God himself has, on one occasion, given a lesson that today would be labeled as a financial strategy and, setting aside his awesome state, allowed the single instance where we could put God to the test without dying for it!

In Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe in the storehouse, that there may be food in my house (his temple). Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you will not have room enough for it.”

I tried it, I did it and with added wisdom and maturity, I have seen “so much blessings.” Where we all get misled or confused is in presuming that the wealth and blessings is just for us and stays with us. Wrong – you are to be blessed in order to bless others.

When you don’t accomplish the purpose for grace or blessings etc., the faucet begins to close and, being human, we start criticizing the lesson instead of asking what we did wrong. It is not always about sin, sometimes it is about not fulfilling the designed purpose.

Take, for instance, the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Seems simple enough until you realize that it’s not just about going to church or temple, but setting a time when you, your family, even your “servants” – drivers, farm hands – must rest and make time for the Lord.

We try our best not to do any real “work” or work-related activity on the Sabbath and it has not impaired our productivity. I now feel guilty having to write a column on Sunday or doing chores that can be done the day after.

Answered prayers. That is the biggest reason I am convinced in my personal relationship with God and Jesus Christ. I’m not talking about toy store-granted wishes.

I am talking about prayer requests for terminally ill cancer patients who end up becoming cancer-free after three months. Childless couples having kids or twins, jobs, houses and healings coming to pass.

In this time of great distress, kneel inside your fox hole and remember these statements:

“Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no corn, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad because the Lord God is my Savior.”

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