The Age Of The Zealots
I suggested to my wife, if the Lord should tarry, future historians might refer to the world we live in as “The Age Of Zealots.” For readers who have stopped watching Jeopardy since Alex Trebek died (I sure have), here’s the Oklahoma definition of a zealot: A zealot is someone who tries to sell you a horse, you say “No” and he kicks you in the shin, headbutts you to the ground, and stomps on your face before running away.
In our country---make that the world---a zealot is lazar-focused upon a single issue. Failure to adopt their position often results in physical harm, major economic damage, and a media assault that ruins your career and tags you with all sorts of adverse adjectives. Our nation is a hodgepodge of zealots knitted together---think grandma’s patchwork quilt---especially at election time. To make matters worse, the mainstream (aka lamestream) media runs to champion every zealot position that degrades, demeans, or damages our traditional values and morals.
Americans not only vote in elections---they vote with their pocketbooks. Wokeism can come with painful prices. Consider two recent gender identity blowback examples. Bud Light has lost an eye-watering $28.5 billion in market value. In some spots, Bud Light is cheaper than water! Costco has placed the “Death Star” on Bud Light. This means they will not be re-ordering Bud Light. Target is another company that is feeling the blowback for selling clothing (even for infants) that caters to the Woke crowd. Target has lost a staggering $15.7 billion in market value. (BTW: I stopped shopping at Target years ago when they placed end caps containing “Fifty Shades of Grey” books, DVDs, and related items so teenagers could have easy access to these controversial items.)
Finally, one of the lesser-known disciples of Jesus was Simon, the zealot. A zealot in those days was a person who sought to overthrow the Roman government by violent means. When Simon was called by the Master, he became a saved, humble servant. Pray today’s zealots will do the same.
Glenn C. Peck