I first became aware of the word “anarchist” about 25
years ago when I went with a street ministry to downtown Manhattan and preached
to a sizeable crowd made up of the homeless, street people and a few regular
folks. The leader of this ministry mentioned that one of the problems they faced
with street ministry in downtown NYC was the presence of “anarchists” who would
often seek to disrupt their meetings.
From their description, it was obvious that the “anarchists”
were disruptive troublemakers who recognized no law but their own whims and
impulses. Since that time, I have become more aware of the word as “anarchists,”
such as Antifa, have been reported in the news as the cause of societal
chaos and the destruction of public property.
The word “anarchist” comes from the Greek
word archon meaning “ruler” and the prefix a meaning “without” so
“without a ruler.” It first appeared in 1600s when it was used to
describe societal chaos because of the absence of any government. Today, it is used
of those who deny any form of spiritual, moral or civil government. It is obviously
irrational and very ego-centered.
Concerning the anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis and
other parts of the country, I don’t doubt that there are some people who want
to peacefully protest the deportation of illegals, and they have a Constitutional
right to do so. They do not, however, have the right to throw bricks, rocks and
other missiles at federal officers, ignite fires and seek to ram them with their vehicles.
It is now obvious that any peaceful protests have been
hijacked by the anarchists who want to kindle societal chaos and turmoil. Seizing
on the unfortunate death of one of the protestors, Renee Good, they are seeking
to use it as a rallying cry for a coup d'état against ICE and the Trump administration who are merely enforcing laws passed by representatives of the people in Congress.
Jesus Himself spoke of anarchists and warned of their
fate. Although he did not use the word “anarchist,” He did use the word, anomian,
which carries the very same meaning. The word comes from the Greek word nomon
meaning “law” and the prefix a meaning “without,” so “without law” or “lawlessness.”
In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus warned,
Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart
from Me you who practice lawlessness.”
To learn more on this topic and understand the difference in anarchy and opposition to moral injustice, check out Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, To Comply or Not Comply, which was written during the Covid shutdown when churches were being ordered to close while liquor stores were designated as "essential" and allowed to remain open. It is available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.
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