Beguiled

 "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be lead astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ (by someone preaching another Jesus)" 2 Corinthians 11:3.

Some months ago, I made reference to David Wood's superb analysis of the Original Series Star Trek episode, Bread and Circuses (Christianity in the 23rd century), and how he unpacked the relevance of Christian truth, even in science fiction.

I want to begin to today with reference to another Original Series episode, which seeks to answer the question what happens when magic seeks to wipe out reason.

Made especially for a halloween airing, the episode Catspaw finds Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and crew facing a world inhabited by a warlock and his familiar who pull out all the stops in respect to using charms and spells to subjugate their captors to their will. The problem that these aspiring tyrants have is no matter how much control they take, they face continual resistance, and their lust for power makes them vulnerable to their own arrogance. Eventually, Captain Kirk exploits a window of opportunity because of just such a mistake, and ends the interference of these strange and very alien creatures, allowing him and his crew to return to normal.

This manner of conflict is what we see being played out amongst us in our days.

The reasons are very clear (The book of Revelation unmasks so much of the conflict behind our history), but what the church must understand is that we are in this very same manner of struggle.

When George Soros writes that there is an alchemy at work at present in the new ordering of our society, he understands that this is a very real distinctive from the reason employed in science - but in no manner less effective. This is why H G Wells spoke in 1928 of the open conspiracy that had commenced which would slowly become as evident as Socialism but far more pervasive as it became formed as a new religion.

This is indeed the conflict of this time - when an "image" (how apt in the day of Social Media) becomes worshipped by the many, replacing the genuine and true.

The present moment has locked society into a path where certain aspects of common life are deemed imperative:

Global 'mind' (common consciousness and frames of reference).

Global identity (national identity is evil).

Reduction of valued employment (when outside of virtual connectivity).

Importance of the elite class (in respect to 'saving' what is deemed of value).

Reduction of tactile common relation to law and order (replaced by continual surveillance).

Changes to global dietary consumption (prescribed replacements).

Diminishing of Private Ownership of goods (virtual existence is key).

Centralised control of movement, identity and wealth.

Transhumanism via virtual imperatives.

This is already translating directly into Christian theology.

In a week where the national talk has been all about two changes in Anglican practice (relating to sexuality and gender), a third proposal is that human bodies be botanically dissolved rather than buried, replacing the significance of burying someone in the hopes of resurrection.

This is the mindset that is evident everywhere in our 'new' culture, and Christians must take heed and resist the march to lead humanity directly to lives defined by a hollowing-out of all that is meant to be valued and honoured.

It's time to break the charms of satan, and call on God for Christ to be made all in all.