Unsettled

Don't know how well I'm going to sleep tonight. Last night we watched the file "Iranium" at a nearby church. Although I'm a little more sensitive to events in Iran than most (in part due to having a number of Iranian-American friends -- Sunday we will join them at a memorial for Dr. Daryoush Homayoun), the picture painted by this film is profoundly disturbing when the dots are so believably connected.

Then tonight it was the 9th lesson of Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project":

Of all the social spheres, the state, to which God grants the power of the sword for the punishment of evil and the preservation of the good, has the greatest potential to go awry if it oversteps its authority. The civil magistrate must always remember his place under the sovereignty of God – otherwise, havoc will ensue.

Now I've missed most of the series so far; this is only the third one I have attended. Next week's will be interesting also (if I don't get too much homework from next week's training class), and it looks like I'm home for the last three.

But tonight's lesson, "The State: Whose Law?" was disturbing in its own right. Much like the situation in Iran, not that there was anything particular new about the events and trends (and there was a lot not mentioned tonight), but like most people I've not connected all the dots, whether through inability, lack of time, or distraction.

All I can do is pray, as we did in Evening Prayer this evening: "O Lord, save the State," and "O Lord, save thy people."