#583

Our Backs Are To The Wall

Needing A Miracle

My father-in-law has a saying that I’ve latched on to when things are looking bad. He says that you’re in a good place for a miracle. And as a person of faith, he’s right. When things are going fantastically, finances are no problems, health is not an issue, and all your relationships are going smoothly we don’t tend to be depressed, concerned, or bothered by anything. In times like that we are like Job at the beginning of his Biblical story. That is until everything falls apart and we see how he handles the testing of his convictions. Once Satan is allowed to take away his health he seems to be left with only a wife and “friends” who seriously tell him to curse God and die. That’s a very low point in life and one that Job remarkably withstood and more than survived. Granted, he needed a little slap upside the head with a clue by four from God, but he got there. And in our day and time, there are situations where a miracle is needed if things are going to improve. While we know that as believers as long as we stay the course, as the Apostle Paul tells us we will get a crown as we start our eternal journey in Heaven:

In heaven a crown is waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And not just to me but to all those whose lives show that they are eagerly looking forward to his coming back again. (2 Tim 4:8, TLB)

But until then we, like Job are probably going to have our backs up against the wall more than a few times.

No Way Out

Speaking of that idiom, just what does it mean to have our backs up against the wall? I’m glad you asked because I just happen to have an answer and it comes from an article I found on crossidiomas.com and it gives us quite the explanation, some of which might surprise you:

The idiom can be interpreted in different ways depending on the context. For example, it could refer to a physical situation where someone is literally backed up against a wall with nowhere else to go. Alternatively, it could be used metaphorically to describe a situation where someone feels trapped or cornered.

Understanding the nuances of this idiom can help us better communicate our thoughts and feelings in challenging situations. By recognizing when we or others are feeling like our backs are against the wall, we can take steps to find solutions and overcome obstacles.

But it isn’t only a situation or feeling where desperation dominates us. It can also mean this:

The phrase “back to the wall” is a common idiom that describes a situation where someone is in a difficult or dangerous position with no way out. The origins of this expression can be traced back to ancient times when soldiers would use walls as a means of defense during battles. When an army was under attack, they would often retreat to a fortified position with their backs against the wall, making it harder for their enemies to attack them from behind.

Over time, this strategy became known as having one’s “back against the wall,” and eventually evolved into the modern-day idiom we know today. Today, when we say that someone has their “back to the wall,” we mean that they are facing a serious challenge or threat and have very few options left.

Throughout history, there have been many instances where people have found themselves in situations where they had their backs against the wall. From wars and conflicts to personal struggles and challenges, this idiom has been used to describe countless scenarios throughout human history.

Which brings us to today and I see a few situations when, as my father-in-law says a miracle is needed and I can add, those fighting for them have their backs up against the wall.

Excuse Me, I’m Trying To Speak

Oddly enough, in a country that is known for free speech, such expressions and the right to utter them is under assault. We can debate the reasons for this attack on being able to say what we want, the way we want it and where we want to say it, but there’s no arguing that it is happening. And this isn’t the first time that this freedom is on the proverbial chopping block. One example that’s making the rounds on social media is from the presidential candidate for the Democratic party, Kamala Harris who, in 2019 said this:

"I was surprised to hear that you did not agree with me that on this subject of what should be the rules around corporate responsibility for these Big Tech companies, when I called on Twitter to suspend Donald Trump's account, that you did not agree. And I would urge you to join me, because here we have Donald Trump, who has 65 million Twitter followers and is using that platform as the president of the United States to openly intimidate witnesses, to threaten witnesses, to obstruct justice. And he and his account should be taken down. We saw in El Paso that that shooter in his manifesto was informed by how Donald Trump uses that platform, and this is a matter of corporate responsibility. Twitter should be held accountable and shut down that site. It is a matter of safety and corporate accountability."

On X now, Harris’ comments to reporter Jake Tapper seems to imply that if she were to become president she would shut down that site:

"There has to be a responsibility that is placed on these social media sites to understand their power. They are directly speaking to millions and millions of people without any level of oversight and regulation, and that has to stop."

Regardless of the context, Harris is clearly wanting to limit free speech and she’s not alone. Free speech has its back up against the wall now.

The Bully Pulpit

Another trend, and it’s not new by any stretch of the imagination is that of chilling the sermons of pastors. It’s already par for the course around the world and specifically to our friends to the north, Canada where if a sermon says that certain sins are wrong they can be brought up for charges. In America where both free speech and freedom of religion are enshrined in our founding documents ministers were arrested simply because they opposed being shut down during the pandemic. And now there is fear in churches of losing their tax exempt status if they get too political, although that particular feeling has been around since the Johnson amendment was introduced by then Senator Lyndon Johnson to punish his political opponent as we read in an article from aclj.org:

Our nation once had a longstanding tradition of church involvement in the political activity of the day. It was previously commonplace for pastors to preach about political issues and candidates.

[F]or the first century and a half of our nation’s history, ‘election sermons’ were commonplace in which pastors appealed to their congregations to support or oppose particular candidates based on their positions on issues. Religious leaders did not merely speak about moral principles alone – they encouraged church members to take specific action in the voting booth to support those principles.

History now includes the last 62 years, which, of course, tell a very different story. The IRS first began closely regulating the political activity of 501(c)(3) organizations in 2004. The IRS website lists prohibited activity: in part, “[c]ontributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity.” Even activity that only has the “evidence of bias,” having simply “the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates,” is prohibited.

Although there has never been a case where such a church has lost its tax status, the fear remains. And I’m not even talking about the fear of losing people in churches over issues of gender and sexual preferences, or racially charged issues even though the Bible has clear stances on them. But there is a huge one out there and those in support of it are being arrested for their beliefs.

Life Matters

“Before I started to put you together in your mother, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart as holy. I chose you to speak to the nations for Me.” (Jer 1:5, TLB)

If you’re like me, abortion is a major issue when I vote and it is also something I consider when I decide what church I attend. I’m not going to support a place of worship that doesn’t consider abortion a sin and I’m certainly not sitting in the pews of a church that thinks it is ok in any sense of the term. After Roe V Wade was found to be unconstitutional the fight over the issue hasn’t gone away, in fact is has gotten more intense. Those of us who are pro-life knew this would happen a long time ago, but that was when civil discourse was, well civil. In the day and age in which we live abortion is considered to be a divine right and cannot ever be diminished. But now, there are those in the halls of power that have decided that they best way to keep abortion legal for the entire time of pregnancy is to castigate and even imprison those who are against it. If the current crop of pro-death political candidates have there way every crisis pregnancy center will be closed down using draconian law enforcement tactics. It’s not like I’m making this up either as we read about a father who was charged with violating a law prohibiting interactions with abortion escorts and arrested in an article from catholicnewsagency.com:

That day, Sept. 23, federal law enforcement officials arrived outside the Houcks’ home in Kintnersville in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, around 7 a.m.

“A SWAT team of about 25 came to my house with about 15 vehicles and started pounding on our door,” Houck’s wife, Ryan-Marie Houck, told CNA on Friday, just hours after her husband’s arrest.“They said they were going to break in if he didn’t open it. And then they had about five guns pointed at my husband, myself, and basically at my kids,” she added.

“They were pointing their weapons,” Middleton said. “They came in as if they were expecting some kind of confrontation.”

The whole arrest was caught on camera and shows how very harshly this man and his family was treated, a man who offered to peacefully simply come down to the FBI building the day before. Clearly this current administration wants to send a message that if you are against abortion, you will be targeted and publicly shamed. And if they can, thrown into prison. Supporting and standing up for the pre-born has its back up against the wall.

But God

As the initial article describing the idiom “back to the wall” tells us, it’s not always a bad thing and can be seen as an opportunity:

Despite its dark connotations, however, having one’s back against the wall can also be seen as an opportunity for growth and change. By facing our fears head-on and refusing to give up even when things seem impossible, we can overcome even the toughest obstacles and emerge stronger on the other side.

The one Biblical example I thought of was the children of Israel at the Red Sea. Just about everyone knows the story about how they left Egypt and were stuck with a sea in front of them and Pharoah’s army behind them. It was a classic backs to the wall moment if there ever was one. Some even think that God orchestrated the moment since He was directing their path. Any which way you look at it, these Jews had no where to go. However the two words that change any desperate situation made the difference. Moses put out the rod over the sea and it miraculously parted allowing them to cross on dry ground. And then collapsed miraculously on the Egyptian army devastating both Pharoah and the nation in one fell swoop. I believe Christians are facing a similar situation now with free speech freedoms being restricted even in sermons and government using its iron fist to squelch pro-life protestors. But it’s not like this hasn’t happened before. Nations like China, North Korea, India, Iran. and Russia are all dangerous places to be Christians but that hasn’t stopped revival breaking out in all those places. Of course Rome wasn’t the best place to be a believer in the early days and Christianity flourished. When God’s people have their backs to the wall it’s truly an opportunity for a miracle. And I believe it is now.