We explore real-life reformation here in this informed, online community.
Master Sgt. Elkana Vizel fell in battle on Monday. His wounds were fatal. He was the married father of four children. He previously fought as a reservist in Gaza in Operation Protective Edge (Tzuk Eitan) in 2014, when he was injured in battle. This is what he wrote in a letter to his family during the current war, in case the worst should happen:
"If you are reading these words, something must have happened to me. If I was kidnapped, I demand that no deal be made for the release of any terrorist to release me. Our overwhelming victory is more important than anything, so please continue to work with all your might so that the victory is as overwhelming as possible.
"Maybe I fell in battle. When a soldier falls in battle, it is sad, but I ask you to be happy. Don't be sad when you part with me. Touch hearts, hold each other's hands, and strengthen each other. We have so much to be proud and happy about.
"We are writing the most significant moments in the history of our nation and the entire world. So please, be happy, be optimistic, keep choosing life all the time. Spread love, light, and optimism. Look at your loved ones in the eyes and remind them that everything we go through in this life is worth it and we have something to live for.
"Don't stop the power of life for a moment. I was already wounded in Operation Tzuk Eitan, but I do not regret that I returned to fight. This is the best decision I ever made."
Are people of the twenty-first century too messed up to love one another, sacrifice for one another, or to mature in the presence of difficulty?
For modern marriages, three decades of therapeutic counselling trends are bearing destructive fruit. It's an ongoing revolt against maturity. Sanctification is today a foreign concept, even in the Evangelical world.
What do people count as relational wisdom today? Fighting for your own personal "rights"...and winning in the process. Perfecting clever snarkiness. Outdoing one another in selfishness. Juxtaposing personal dreams and ambitions against another's personal dreams and ambitions.
The way forward when life together gets unbearable? Grumble to a "counselor." Or, if you're tech-savvy, crowd source your therapy. Pour out all your grudges and aversions on the internet, in the guise of "getting a little perspective" [and advice from the mob.]
Today the internet mob is a feedback loop which has become a death spiral -- a chorus...
