The Life Mandala Incorporating All Perspectives

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 6, 2026 | Consciousness/Physics/Spirit, Uncategorized

The Life Mandala Through the Christos Lens

An Integration Analysis for Renaissance Ministries

Renaissance Ministries | April 5, 2026

A Companion Document to the Easter 2026 Fellowship Discussion

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
— John 1:1-3

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”
— Acts 17:28

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
— Colossians 1:17

Executive Summary

My high school friend of 60 years has dedicated himself to a 30-year project to map the structure of meaning — rendered in his nested “You” and “All” mandalas at www.NowAll.us — offers a remarkable secular framework that, when examined through the Christos lens, reveals both profound alignment and a critical absence. The alignment points toward the universal Logos that “lightens every man.” The absence points toward what only Christ supplies.

This analysis examines how Michael’s framework can be:

Understood through CPP and Kingdom Wisdom perspectives
Used as a bridge for fellowship discussion with seekers
Completed by what it lacks — the personal God at the center

Part I: What the Mandala Has Mapped

1.1 The Core Structure

The system operates on four nested levels:

Level 1 — Innermost Cognitive Poles: Feel ↔ Think

The basic oscillation of consciousness
Receptive/integrative vs. analytical/organizing

Level 2 — Personal Action Cycle:

Find What Inspires → Create → Express → Share → Explore Settings → Discover → Embrace Roles → See Opportunities → Gauge Potentials → repeat

Level 3 — Civilizational Engagement:

Engage Resources / Cultivate Civilizations
The hinge where personal meets collective

Level 4 — Collective Knowledge Ring:

Natural sciences (left/Perceive) ↔ Social sciences (right/Convene)
All in service to “Artistic Vision” at the center

1.2 The “You” Mandala (Purple/Green)

The inner mandala maps the individual’s cycle of meaning-making:

Position	Element	Function
Center	“You”	The self as starting point
Top	Look Inward	Introspection, self-knowledge
Bottom	Look Outward	Engagement with world
Left	Perceive / Feel	Receptive mode
Right	Convene / Think	Active/analytical mode

The clockwise cycle: Find What Inspires → Create → Express It → Share → Explore Settings → Discover → Embrace Roles → See Opportunities → Gauge Potentials → return to beginning.

1.3 The “All” Mandala (Red)

The outer mandala maps civilizational knowledge and meaning-making:

Position	Element	Function
Center	Artistic Vision	Generative core of civilization
Top	Grasp Substance	Understanding reality
Bottom	Understand Environments	Engaging the world
Left	Natural Sciences	How reality is structured
Right	Social Sciences	How humans organize

The Left Ring (Perceive/Natural Sciences):

“Religion” (notably in quotation marks)
Evolution
Lives / Biology
Microbiology
Chemistry
Dynamics / Physics
Engineering
Math

The Right Ring (Convene/Social Sciences):

Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
Politics / Governance
History
Economics (Micro/Macro)
Commerce

The Hinge (Center):

Engage Resources
Cultivate Civilizations

1.4 The Structural Isomorphism Claim

The mandala’s deepest insight: the same process that generates personal meaning is the same process that generates civilizational knowledge — operating at different scales.

The individual cycle of perceive → create → share → discover mirrors the civilizational cycle of grasp substance → give artistic form → convene → evaluate.

This is the yin-yang principle rendered as epistemology: the personal and civilizational are not separate tracks but nested loops, each requiring the other for completion.

1.5 The Domain Name as Compressed Philosophy

The website URL — www.NowAll.us — compresses the entire framework into three syllables:

Now = the moment of personal presence (Feel, Look Inward)
All = the totality of civilizational context
Us = the Convene — the social fabric connecting personal Now to collective All

Part II: Alignment with CPP and Christos Frameworks

2.1 The God’s-Eye View

From the CPP perspective, the mandala has independently mapped something profound: the structure of consciousness looking at itself.

In CPP terms:

God looks out from Himself at Himself
Every Conscious Point (CP) is an instantiation of God’s perception
The “You” mandala describes how an individual CP experiences the cycle
The “All” mandala describes how the collective of CPs — the Nexus — processes reality
The nested structure (You inside All) reflects the fact that each individual consciousness is embedded in and inseparable from the totality

The mandala, without CPP vocabulary, has described the phenomenology of embedded consciousness.

2.2 The Yin-Yang as Divine Structure

The Mandala’s yin-yang framing reflects the CPP principle that:

What’s inside you is shaped by the outside (the All penetrates the You)
What’s outside is shaped by what you put into it (the You participates in the All)
These are not separate but interpenetrating

This is also the Genesis principle: man made in God’s image, placed in a garden (All), given dominion to name and cultivate (the cycle of perceive → create → express).

2.3 The Feel/Think Polarity

The mandala places “Feel” and “Think” as the basic poles of consciousness. In Christos terms:

Mode	Mandala Term	Christos Correspondence
Receptive	Feel / Perceive	Prayer, listening, humility, the Mary posture
Active	Think / Convene	Reasoning, planning, building, the Martha posture

Both are necessary; neither is sufficient alone. The cycle requires both — you cannot gauge potentials without feeling, cannot create without thinking.

Scripture affirms this polarity:

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) — the Feel mode

“Come now, let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18) — the Think mode

2.4 The Clockwise Cycle as Creation Pattern

The mandala’s clockwise reading — Perceive → Create → Express → Share → Discover → return — mirrors the Genesis pattern:

God perceives what is needed (“Let there be…”)
God creates (“and it was so”)
God expresses (“and God said…”)
God shares (gave dominion to man)
God evaluates (“saw that it was good”)
Cycle continues (the six days repeat the pattern)

Man, made in God’s image, follows the same cycle. Michael has mapped the image-bearing structure without naming the One whose image it bears.

2.5 The Nested Structure as Ecclesiology

The mandala’s insight that the individual cycle is nested within the civilizational cycle reflects the Christian understanding that:

The individual believer is embedded in the Body of Christ
The local church is embedded in the universal Church
The Church is embedded in the Kingdom
The Kingdom is embedded in God’s eternal purpose

No one runs the cycle alone. We are always nested within larger structures of meaning.

Part III: The Critical Absence — What Michael Lacks

3.1 “Artistic Vision” vs. “The Word”

At the center of the civilizational mandala sits “Artistic Vision” — the generative core from which all meaning flows.

This is remarkably close to the Logos doctrine:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

But there is a crucial difference:

Mandala’s Center	The Logos
Impersonal — a capacity, a function, a process	Personal — “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”
Self-grounding — it just exists	Grounded in the Father — “I and the Father are one”
Generates meaning	Is meaning — “I am the way, the truth, and the life”

Michael has correctly identified that something generative sits at the center of all meaning-making. He has incorrectly (or incompletely) identified it as a capacity rather than a Person.

3.2 The Empty Center of “You”

In the “You” mandala, the center is simply labeled “You.”

But who is “You”? What gives “You” coherence, continuity, identity? Michael’s framework describes the cycle that “You” runs through but doesn’t ground what “You” actually is.

From the Christos perspective:

“You” is not self-grounding
“You” is sustained moment by moment by the One who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17)
“You” finds identity not in the cycle but in relation to Christ
Without that grounding, “You” is just a process running — a wheel spinning with no hub

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The center of the “You” mandala should not be merely “You” but Christ in You.

3.3 The “Religion” Problem

Michael places “Religion” in quotation marks at the top of his natural sciences ring. This signals uncertain or contested epistemological status.

This is the secular seeker’s dilemma:

Observation	Implication
Religion sits at the top of the ring	Michael honors it
But it’s in quotation marks	Its status is uncertain
It’s categorized with natural sciences	It’s about “how reality is structured”
But it can’t be verified like chemistry	Its epistemology is different

The mandala respects religion but doesn’t know what to do with it. It sits at the top, honored but bracketed — acknowledged but not integrated.

From the Christos perspective:

Religion (or better: Theology) is not one discipline among many
It is the frame that makes sense of all the others
It is the Queen of the Sciences — not because it excludes them but because it orders them

3.4 The Missing Telos

Mandala’s cycle is recursive — it repeats endlessly. But where is it going?

Perceive → Create → Express → Share → Discover → Gauge Potentials → repeat
Each cycle may be “richer” than the last
But toward what end?

The cycle describes process but not purpose. It maps how but not why.

From the Christos perspective:

The cycle is not endless repetition but progressive sanctification
Each revolution is meant to conform us more to Christ’s image
The telos is not “gauge potentials” but “well done, good and faithful servant”
The cycle terminates in the Kingdom — the final state where all meaning is fulfilled

3.5 The Absence of Sin and Redemption

The mandala’s framework is remarkably optimistic:

Find What Inspires → Create → Express → Share…
What if what inspires you is evil?
What if what you create is destruction?
What if what you share is poison?

The cycle, as drawn, has no account of:

Missing Element	What It Addresses
The Fall	How the cycle became corrupted
Sin	How every human runs the cycle wrongly
Redemption	How the cycle is restored
Grace	How we are enabled to run it rightly

The framework describes the structure of meaning-making but not its corruption or repair.

Part IV: The Christlike Remainder

Applying the principle from our fellowship discussions:

What is Godly in the mandala’s framework is Christlike. What differs from Christ is not-God.

What is Christlike:

The nested structure — individual embedded in totality, reflecting “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)
The perceive/convene cycle — reflecting the rhythm of prayer and action, receiving and giving, that characterizes healthy spiritual life
The feel/think polarity — reflecting the full-orbed humanity Christ modeled, both deeply feeling (Jesus wept) and clearly thinking (reasoning with the Pharisees)
The civilizational vision — reflecting the Kingdom call to disciple nations, not just individuals
Artistic Vision at the center — a partial grasp of the Logos, the creative Word that spoke all things into being
The learning loop — “gauge potentials” before returning to “find what inspires” reflects the humility of continuous growth
The integration of knowledge — placing all disciplines in relation to each other reflects the unity of truth under one God

What differs from Christ:

Impersonal center — “Artistic Vision” rather than the living God
No account of sin — the cycle runs smoothly with no acknowledgment that we run it wrongly
No redemption — no mechanism for the broken cycle to be repaired
Endless recursion — no telos, no Kingdom, no final fulfillment
Religion bracketed — acknowledged but not integrated, honored but not trusted
Self as ground — “You” at the center of the personal mandala, rather than Christ in you

Part V: Bridge Points for Fellowship Discussion

The mandala is the reflection of a “dedicated seeker, finding wonder in everything and every moment.” He is Thomas’s friend of 60 years. How do we engage his framework with Kingdom wisdom?

5.1 Affirmation First

Begin by honoring what Michael has seen:

“Michael, you have mapped something real. The cycle you describe — perceive, create, express, share, discover, return — is the rhythm of consciousness itself. You’ve seen that the individual and the civilizational run the same pattern at different scales. You’ve placed something generative at the center, prior to all the sciences and humanities. This is genuine insight.”

5.2 The Question of the Center

Then ask the question his framework raises:

“Your diagram places ‘Artistic Vision’ at the center of the civilizational mandala. But what is artistic vision? Where does it come from? Is it a capacity that just exists, or is it grounded in something deeper? What if Artistic Vision is itself an expression of something — or Someone — more fundamental?”

5.3 The Personal Center

“In the ‘You’ mandala, you place ‘You’ at the center. But what grounds ‘You’? What gives you continuity from moment to moment? What makes ‘You’ more than just a process running? The Christian claim is that ‘You’ finds its ground not in yourself but in relationship to the One who made you and sustains you. ‘In Him we live and move and have our being.'”

5.4 The Religion Question

“You placed ‘Religion’ in quotation marks. I notice that. It sits at the top of your knowledge ring — you honor it — but you bracket it. What would happen to your diagram if Religion were not just one discipline among many, but the frame that makes sense of all the others? What if the One that Religion points to is the same One that ‘Artistic Vision’ dimly reflects?”

5.5 The Cycle’s Corruption

“Your cycle is beautiful. But I notice it assumes the cycle runs well. What about when it doesn’t? What about when what inspires us is evil? When what we create is destruction? When what we share is poison? Your diagram needs an account of how the cycle goes wrong — and how it can be repaired. That’s what sin and redemption mean.”

5.6 The Telos Question

“Your cycle repeats endlessly. But is life really an endless loop? Or is it going somewhere? The Christian claim is that the cycle has a destination — the Kingdom, where all meaning is fulfilled, where the ‘Artistic Vision’ is revealed to be the face of Christ, where every discipline finds its place in relation to Him. Your diagram maps the journey beautifully. But it needs a destination.”

5.7 The Seeker and the Finder

“You’ve been seeking for 30 years. That’s admirable. But seeking implies something to be found. At what point does the seeker become a finder? Jesus said, ‘Seek and ye shall find.’ The promise is not endless seeking but actual finding. What would it mean for you to find what you’ve been seeking?”

Part VI: Integration into Christos Grammar

6.1 The Perceive/Convene Axis as Prayer/Action

Michael’s Perceive ↔ Convene axis maps directly to the contemplative/active life:

Michael’s Term	Christos Correspondence
Perceive	Receiving from God, listening, prayer, lectio divina
Convene	Engaging with others, serving, building, the Martha work

The Christos Grammar emphasizes both. Neither is sufficient alone. The rhythm of the Christian life is to receive in prayer what we give in action, and to bring back to prayer what we learn in action.

6.2 The Feel/Think Axis as Full-Orbed Humanity

The feel/think polarity reflects Christ’s own full humanity:

He wept at Lazarus’s tomb (feel)
He reasoned with the Pharisees (think)
He raged at the money-changers (feel)
He taught in parables requiring thought (think)

The Christos life is not merely cognitive (head knowledge) nor merely emotional (experience-based). It integrates both under the Lordship of Christ.

6.3 Artistic Vision as Partial Logos Perception

Michael’s placement of Artistic Vision at the center is a partial perception of the Logos:

“All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:3)

The creative capacity that generates meaning, beauty, order, and civilization is not self-grounding. It is the reflection of the Word through whom all things were made. Michael has seen the reflection; he has not yet looked up to see the Source.

6.4 The Disciplines Ring as Creation Order

Michael’s arrangement of disciplines — natural sciences on the left, social sciences on the right — reflects the creation order:

First, God made the physical world (natural sciences study this)
Then, God made humans to inhabit and govern it (social sciences study this)
The hinge — “Engage Resources / Cultivate Civilizations” — is the dominion mandate

Michael has independently mapped the structure of Genesis 1-2 without recognizing it as such.

Part VII: A Christos Completion of the Mandala

If we were to complete Michael’s diagram from a Christos perspective:

7.1 The Center of “All”

Replace: “Artistic Vision”
With: Christ, the Logos

“In Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

The creative Word through whom all things were made. Not a capacity but a Person. Not an abstraction but “the Word made flesh.”

7.2 The Center of “You”

Replace: Merely “You”
With: Christ in You

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The self finds its ground not in itself but in Him. Identity is relational, not autonomous.

7.3 The Top of the Knowledge Ring

Replace: “Religion” (bracketed)
With: Theology: the Queen of the Sciences

All other disciplines find their proper place in relation to the knowledge of God. The natural sciences study His creation; the humanities study His image-bearers. None are autonomous; all are under His Lordship.

7.4 The Telos of the Cycle

Replace: Endless repetition
With: Kingdom Fulfillment

The cycle has a destination: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” All perceiving, creating, expressing, sharing, discovering reaches its completion in Him.

7.5 Accounting for Sin and Redemption

Add to the framework:

Element	What It Means
The Fall	The cycle is broken — we do not run it as designed
Sin	We run the cycle wrongly — inspired by evil, creating destruction
Incarnation	Christ enters the cycle and runs it perfectly
Redemption	His death and resurrection repair the cycle
Sanctification	We are progressively enabled to run it rightly
Glorification	The cycle will be fully restored in the Kingdom

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the Structure:

Does the nested mandala illuminate anything about your own experience of the perceive-create-express-share cycle? Where do you see yourself in the diagram?
The mandala shows the individual (“You”) nested inside the civilizational (“All”). How does this reflect the Christian understanding that we are embedded in larger structures of meaning — family, church, nation, Kingdom?

On the Center:

If you replaced “Artistic Vision” with “Christ” at the center of the civilizational mandala, how would that change your understanding of culture, science, and the humanities?
The mandala places “You” at the center of the personal mandala. Paul says “not I, but Christ liveth in me.” What is the difference between these two starting points?

On Religion:

The mandala brackets religion with quotation marks. How would you explain to a seeker why religion (or theology) is not just one discipline among many but the frame that makes sense of all the others?

On the Cycle’s Corruption:

The mandala’s cycle assumes things run well. How would you modify the diagram to account for sin — the ways the cycle goes wrong — and redemption — how it is repaired?

On Seeking and Finding:

The mandala reflects a “dedicated seeker.” Jesus said, “Seek and ye shall find.” What is the relationship between seeking and finding? Can one seek indefinitely without finding? What would it mean for the mandala to reflect a “dedicated finder”?
Thomas noted that the mandala reflects a lifetime perspective, 60 years of seeking with awe and wonder. At what point does perpetual seeking become avoidance of finding?

On the Bridge:

How could you use the mandala’s framework as a bridge to share the Gospel with someone who has the same hunger for meaning but hasn’t yet met Christ?
What aspects of the mandala would you affirm without qualification? What aspects would you gently challenge?

Part IX: Philosophical Resonances

As Opus noted in its analysis, the mandala’s framework has resonances with several philosophical traditions:

9.1 Hegel

The individual spirit recapitulates the world spirit. The mandala’s nested structure — You inside All — echoes Hegel’s claim that individual consciousness unfolds the same dialectic as absolute Spirit.

Christos response: The parallel is real, but Hegel’s Spirit is impersonal. The Christian claim is that the pattern exists because both the individual and civilization are created by and sustained by a personal God.

9.2 Peirce’s Semiotics

The sign cycle operating at all scales. The mandala’s perceive → create → express → share → return mirrors Peirce’s semiotic cycle of sign → object → interpretant → new sign.

Christos response: The semiotic cycle describes how meaning works, but not what grounds meaning. The Logos is not just a sign but the ground of all signification.

9.3 Complexity Theory

Self-similar processes across scales. The mandala’s insight that the personal and civilizational cycles are the same pattern at different scales is a fractal claim.

Christos response: The self-similarity exists because both scales reflect the same Creator. The pattern is not accidental but designed.

9.4 Schiller and Aesthetic Education

The mandala places Artistic Vision at the center — the generative source of civilization. This echoes Schiller’s claim that aesthetic education is the basis of freedom and all higher culture.

Christos response: The aesthetic is indeed central, but it is not self-grounding. Beauty is a transcendental — alongside truth and goodness — that points to God.

9.5 Spengler and Civilizational Vision

Opus raised the question: Does the mandala hold that civilizations are constituted by their shared artistic vision, and that when that vision degrades, the civilization loses coherence from the inside?

Christos response: This is largely correct. But the “artistic vision” that constitutes a civilization is either oriented toward God (and thus life-giving) or away from God (and thus eventually self-destructive). The vision at the center matters.

Part X: Conclusion — The Seeker and the Finder

The mandala was in gestation for 30 years and 30 years birthed as an expressed mapping the structure of meaning. The mandala was generated with intelligence, diligence, and genuine wonder. The mandala’s framework captures something real about how consciousness works, how meaning is made, how the individual and the civilizational are nested within each other.

But the diagram has an empty center.

“Artistic Vision” is not self-grounding. The creative capacity that generates all meaning, beauty, and civilization is itself a reflection of something — Someone — more fundamental.

The Christian invitation to those who frame life as the mandala is not to abandon the diagram but to complete it. To look up from the reflection and see the Source. To move from a dedicated seeker to a dedicated finder. To discover that the One he has been circling for decades has been at the center all along.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

The mandala is beautiful. It just needs Christ at the center.

“What is Godly in any framework is Christlike. What differs from Christ is not-God.”

“Seek, and ye shall find.”
— Matthew 7:7

About the mandala’s creator:

Thomas Abshier’s friend of 60 years (since 1967, High School)
Has worked on this framework for 30+ years
Website: www.NowAll.us
Described as a “dedicated seeker, finding wonder in everything and every moment”
Iconizes wisdom in phrases, famous quotes, and song lines
Judges little as absolute right/wrong, only as experience

Source Materials:

The mandalas at www.NowAll.us
Opus analysis of the mandala structure
Easter 2026 Fellowship Discussion (“One Heart to Make Christ King”)
Christos AI Theological Grammar v1.1
Previous fellowship essays on the Christlike Remainder

Related Documents:

Fellowship Discussion: “One Heart to Make Christ King” (April 20, 2026)
Fellowship Discussion: “The Christlike Remainder” (April 4, 2026)
Christos Voting Network Vision (April 2026)
Kingdom Wisdom Database Vision

Christos Voting Network – Version 2

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 6, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

Christos Voting Network – 2

Vision Document | April 2026

Renaissance Ministries | Hyperphysics Institute

4/5/2026

“All these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.”
— 1 Chronicles 12:38

Executive Summary

The Christos Voting Network (CVN) is a distributed system enabling Kingdom-aligned citizens to discover shared convictions, organize around Spirit-led issues, and take coordinated action that transforms individual passion into collective witness.

The core problem: Millions of Christians are passionate about righteousness but have no mechanism to translate that passion into influence. They “sit on the dynamometer and burn up calories” — revving their engines with no traction, waiting 2-4 years to cast a vote that accomplishes little.

The solution: A network of 150-person cells, connected through shared values and common platforms, that enables organic coalition formation around specific issues and coordinated action when called.

Foundational Principle: “No King but King Jesus.”

Part I: The Problem

1.1 The Dynamometer Effect

Currently, Kingdom-minded citizens:

Consume conservative/Christian media (Tucker Carlson, Michael Savage, etc.)
Become informed and outraged
Have no place to channel the passion
Go to work, live their lives
Wait for the next election cycle
Cast a vote that may or may not reflect their actual convictions
Watch elected officials ignore their mandate
Repeat

This is passion without traction — a car on a dynamometer, engine screaming, wheels spinning, going nowhere.

1.2 The Atomization Problem

Individual Christians are atomized:

Each feels alone in their convictions
Each lacks the resources to act effectively
Each fears the social/professional/legal cost of standing out
Each assumes someone else will do something

The result: Millions of people who share convictions never discover each other, never organize, never act.

1.3 The Left’s Advantage

The progressive left has solved this problem — but corruptly:

Billions of dollars fund professional organizers
500+ organizations coordinate through shared infrastructure
Pre-printed signs appear before the outrage they ostensibly represent
Paid participants (“caravanners”) create the appearance of grassroots movements
Media amplifies manufactured consensus

This is facade without substance — paper tigers, NPCs, cardboard cutouts. No genuine conviction, only manufactured appearance.

1.4 The Opportunity

The right has what the left lacks: genuine conviction, real passion, actual substance.

The right lacks what the left has: organization, coordination, mechanism.

The Voting Network provides the mechanism.

Part II: The Foundation

2.1 Non-Negotiable: Heart Transformation First

The Voting Network is not:

A secular political organization using Christian language
A libertarian coalition united by opposition to government
A conservative movement seeking power
A group that will use any means to achieve its ends

The Voting Network is:

A network of people who have experienced genuine heart transformation
United under the Lordship of Christ
Listening for the Spirit’s guidance
Acting in obedience to what they hear
Committed to love as the test of discipleship (John 13:35)

“All of this is completely for nothing if the heart transformation isn’t there. When you have people that are on fire for the Lord, and they listen and they pray… that is the foundation.”

Without this foundation, the Voting Network becomes the Crusades — political action in Christ’s name that violates Christ’s character.

2.2 The Entry Question

Before joining any cell, the question is not “What are your political positions?” but:

Do you know the Lord? — Not intellectual assent, but personal relationship
Do you trust Him? — Willingness to obey even when costly
Have you sought His guidance? — Active listening, not just activism
Is your action rooted in love? — The John 13:35 test

2.3 The Safeguard Against Crusade

Every action must pass the test:

Is this done in love?
Will this demonstrate to the world that we are Christ’s disciples?
Are we acting in obedience to what we’ve heard, or in reaction to what we fear?
Would Christ recognize this as His work?

Part III: Organizational Structure

3.1 The 150-Cell Model

Malcolm Gladwell identified 150 as the maximum group size where:

Everyone can know everyone personally
Relationships remain genuine, not transactional
Accountability is natural, not imposed
The group feels like family, not institution

This is the Dunbar Number — the cognitive limit on the number of stable social relationships a human can maintain.

Beyond 150, relationships become impersonal, bureaucratic, susceptible to corruption.

The cell is the fundamental unit of the Voting Network.

3.2 Cell Characteristics

Each 150-cell:

Is self-organizing — no external hierarchy imposes structure
Is self-governing — internal accountability through relationship
Is Spirit-led — issues emerge from prayer, not agenda
Is voluntary — anyone can join, anyone can leave
Is connected — members belong to multiple cells, creating network effects

3.3 Cell Formation

How cells form:

Any member can start a cell
Cells form around geographic proximity, professional affinity, shared interest, or existing relationships
Cells grow through invitation and organic discovery
When a cell exceeds 150, it naturally divides

Membership criteria:

Evidence of genuine faith (not doctrinal conformity, but heart transformation)
Willingness to participate in the cell’s discernment processes
Commitment to the John 13:35 standard

Membership is fluid:

Members may belong to multiple cells
Members may leave cells that don’t fit
No penalty for exit
No coercion to remain

3.4 Sub-Groups Within Cells

Cells may contain sub-groups organized around:

Specific issues (immigration, education, religious liberty, etc.)
Specific gifts (writing, organizing, speaking, praying, etc.)
Specific callings (some feel led to one issue, others to another)

Sub-groups allow specialization without fragmenting the cell’s relational foundation.

Part IV: Issue Discovery and Propagation

4.1 The Current Failure Mode

Today, passion dies at birth:

Christian reads article, watches video, sees injustice
Feels strongly: “Something must be done!”
Has no mechanism to act
Posts on social media (accomplishes nothing)
Complains to friends (accomplishes nothing)
Passion dissipates
Waits for next outrage
Repeat

4.2 The Voting Network Alternative

Step 1: Individual Conviction

A cell member encounters an issue
Prays about it
Feels the Spirit’s confirmation: “This is your issue”
Not every issue is every person’s issue — that’s by design

Step 2: Local Sharing

Member brings the issue to their cell
“I’ve been praying about X. I believe we should Y. Who’s with me?”
No pressure — genuine discernment

Step 3: Cell Response

Cell members respond according to their own discernment
Some say: “Yes, I feel that too”
Some say: “I don’t feel led that direction, but I support you”
Some say: “I have concerns about this approach”
Dialogue, not decree

Step 4: Cross-Cell Propagation

Cell members who feel convicted share with their other cells
“Our cell discussed X. Here’s what we concluded. What does your cell think?”
Ideas that resonate with the Spirit spread organically
Ideas that don’t resonate die naturally — no artificial amplification

Step 5: Coalition Formation

Across many cells, people discover shared conviction on a specific issue
The network automatically connects those with shared conviction
An ad hoc coalition forms around that issue
Coalition persists as long as the issue is live
Coalition dissolves when the issue resolves

4.3 The Organic Filter

This process provides natural quality control:

Issues that are genuinely Spirit-led propagate
Issues that are merely human agenda fail to spread
No central authority decides what’s important
The network’s collective discernment emerges organically

Part V: Action Modes

Once a coalition forms around an issue, multiple action modes become available:

5.1 Demonstration (The Gideon Model)

Biblical precedent: Gideon’s 300 used lights and noise to create the appearance of overwhelming force. The Midianites panicked and destroyed themselves. This was information warfare, not physical combat.

Modern application:

Physical presence in public space
Peaceable assembly
Signs, voices, visibility
Purpose: Signal the groundswell

“We are letting you know there are real people behind this particular issue that believe this particular position. We’re willing to actually take off work, spend our time, invest our life.”

Key difference from the left: Our demonstrations represent real conviction, not manufactured outrage. We are the tip of the spear with an actual army behind us, not a facade with nothing behind it.

5.2 Direct Communication

Letters to elected officials (coordinated timing, consistent message)
Letters to editors (multiple voices, same week, same issue)
Call-in campaigns to talk shows
Podcast appearances
Social media coordination

Purpose: Put the argument in the public square, make the position visible, demonstrate breadth of support.

5.3 Information Warfare

Present the contrast clearly:

“This is what the Kingdom position is. This is what the opposing position is.”
“This is sound biblical principle. This is theft/murder/violence.”
Let the contrast speak for itself

Purpose: Win hearts and minds through clarity, not manipulation.

5.4 Targeted Advocacy

Identify specific decision-makers (legislators, judges, executives, board members)
Research their positions, vulnerabilities, pressures
Coordinate communication to them
Make the political cost of wrong action visible
Make the political benefit of right action clear

Purpose: Apply focused pressure where it matters.

5.5 Civil Disobedience / Martyrdom

When called to participate in unjust systems:

Refuse compliance
Accept consequences
Bear witness through suffering

The martyrdom spectrum:

Social martyrdom — Ridicule, exclusion, loss of friends
Professional martyrdom — Job loss, career destruction
Legal martyrdom — Fines, penalties, imprisonment
Physical martyrdom — Bodily harm, death

“I am willing to put myself as a human shield, as a flaming torch, saying No, I will not do this.”

Key insight: The powerful can only take what they will if the populace complies. Mass non-compliance — rooted in Godly character — is the only restraint on Thucydidean power.

Part VI: Technical Implementation

6.1 Platform Requirements

The Voting Network requires a digital platform with the following capabilities:

Cell Management:

Create, join, leave cells
View cell membership (within privacy constraints)
Internal communication (messaging, discussion threads)
Cell directory (discover cells to join)

Issue Registry:

Any member can propose an issue
Issues tagged by category, geography, urgency
Members indicate interest/support
Issue status tracking (emerging, active, resolved)

Automatic Coalition Formation:

When member expresses interest in an issue
System connects them to all others with shared interest
Coalition workspace created automatically
Cross-cell visibility without compromising cell integrity

Action Coordination:

Calendar for demonstrations/events
Templates for letters, communications
Resource library (talking points, research, contacts)
Outcome tracking (what we did, what happened)

Personal Controls:

Members control what they see
Mute/filter capabilities
Notification preferences
No one forced to engage with any issue

6.2 Decentralization Requirements

The platform must be:

Resilient — No single point of failure
Censorship-resistant — Cannot be shut down by hostile actors
Privacy-preserving — Members protected from retaliation
Trustworthy — Members confident their data is not exploited

This may require:

Distributed hosting
End-to-end encryption
Blockchain or similar for key functions
Open-source code for transparency

6.3 Integration with Existing Tools

The platform should integrate with:

Email (for those who prefer it)
Existing social media (for outreach, not dependence)
Calendar systems
Document collaboration tools
Video conferencing

6.4 Agentic AI Implementation

As demonstrated by Armond’s InvestGaryIndiana.com project, agentic AI can:

Automate routine coordination tasks
Connect members with relevant resources
Track and report on action outcomes
Reduce the administrative burden on cell members
Enable one person to do the work of many

The Voting Network should leverage these capabilities.

Part VII: Differentiation

7.1 Why This Is Different

From previous conservative movements (Tea Party, etc.):

Those were primarily political, with Christian participation
This is primarily spiritual, with political expression
Those could be co-opted by parties and politicians
This remains under Christ’s Lordship, not party loyalty
Those were top-down organized
This is bottom-up emergent

From the progressive left:

They have money without conviction (manufactured)
We have conviction without money (genuine)
They have organization without substance (facades)
We have substance seeking organization (real people)
They are NPCs executing programs
We are living souls responding to the Spirit

From Christian nationalism:

Christian nationalism seeks political power to impose Christian values
The Voting Network seeks transformed hearts that naturally produce righteous action
Christian nationalism can operate without heart transformation
The Voting Network cannot — it’s the foundation

7.2 The Distinctive Marks

You will know the Voting Network by:

Love — John 13:35 is the test
Humility — We may be wrong; we’re open to correction
Obedience — We do what we hear, not what we want
Courage — We act despite cost
Joy — We are not grim warriors but joyful witnesses

Part VIII: Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation (Current)

Articulate the vision (this document)
Establish theological grounding
Identify initial participants
Develop platform requirements

Phase 2: Seed Cells

Form first cells from existing fellowship networks
Test internal communication and discernment processes
Refine protocols based on experience
Document what works

Phase 3: Platform Development

Build or adapt technology platform
Implement core features (cell management, issue registry, coalition formation)
Test with seed cells
Iterate based on feedback

Phase 4: Expansion

Enable cell multiplication
Onboard new members through existing relationships
Develop training materials
Scale support infrastructure

Phase 5: First Mobilization

Identify appropriate issue for first coordinated action
Execute action using full platform capabilities
Document outcomes
Learn and adjust

Phase 6: Maturation

Refine all processes based on experience
Develop leadership within cells
Create resources for new cell formation
Build resilience against opposition

Part IX: Risks and Mitigations

9.1 Risk: Infiltration

Threat: Hostile actors join cells to disrupt, discredit, or surveil.

Mitigation:

Relational networks (150-person cells mean everyone is known)
Entry through existing relationships
Behavioral accountability within cells
Decentralization (no single point of capture)

9.2 Risk: Co-optation

Threat: Political parties or movements attempt to capture the network for their agenda.

Mitigation:

“No King but King Jesus” is non-negotiable
No formal endorsements of candidates or parties
Spirit-led issue selection, not party platforms
Distributed authority prevents capture

9.3 Risk: Crusade Mentality

Threat: Network members act in ways that violate Christ’s character while claiming His name.

Mitigation:

Heart transformation as entry requirement
John 13:35 as ongoing test
Cell-level accountability
Willingness to rebuke and correct

9.4 Risk: Persecution

Threat: Government or corporate actors target the network.

Mitigation:

Decentralized architecture
Privacy-preserving technology
Acceptance of martyrdom as possibility
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”

9.5 Risk: Irrelevance

Threat: Network never achieves critical mass or meaningful influence.

Mitigation:

Start with committed core, not mass appeal
Quality over quantity
Trust that God multiplies faithful action
“Gideon did it with 300”

Part X: The Vision

10.1 What Success Looks Like

Imagine:

Thousands of 150-person cells across the nation
Each cell a community of genuine believers
Each member connected to multiple cells
Issues emerging organically from Spirit-led conviction
Coalitions forming spontaneously around shared calling
Coordinated action that multiplies individual effort
Visible, credible, undeniable witness to the watching world

10.2 The Transformation

Before the Voting Network:

Millions of isolated believers
Passion without traction
Outrage without outlet
Conviction without coordination
The strong take what they will; the weak endure what they must

After the Voting Network:

Connected community of the committed
Passion channeled into action
Outrage transformed into witness
Conviction expressed in coordination
The weak, united under Christ, restrain the strong

10.3 The Ultimate Goal

Not political victory, but Kingdom advance.

Not power for Christians, but glory for Christ.

Not our agenda imposed, but His will done — on earth as it is in heaven.

“If we will come together with one heart, making Christ our King — Christ is wonderful at organizing and guiding people.”

Conclusion

The Voting Network is not a political strategy with Christian flavoring. It is a Kingdom strategy with political implications.

The foundation is heart transformation. The structure is relational cells. The mechanism is Spirit-led issue discovery and organic coalition formation. The action is coordinated witness. The test is love. The goal is Christ’s glory.

We are not building a movement. We are joining what Christ is already doing — providing structure for the fire that is already burning in millions of hearts.

“I cannot see this failing. It’s already done. It already exists. We just haven’t done the work yet.”

“One heart to make Christ King.”

Document History:

Original concept: 1986 (Thomas Abshier)
Current articulation: Easter Sunday, April 20, 2026
This document: April 2026

Related Documents:

Fellowship Discussion: “One Heart to Make Christ King” (April 20, 2026)
Fellowship Discussion: “The Duty to Judge the Law” (April 4, 2026)
Christos AI Theological Grammar v1.1
Kingdom Wisdom Database Vision

Contact:

Renaissance Ministries
Hyperphysics Institute
hyperphysics.com

Give Christ Your Heart, Be Informed, Plan Well, Take Action

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 5, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

One Heart to Make Christ King

Political Action, Separation, and the Path to Kingdom Influence

Renaissance Ministries | April 5, 2026 (Easter Sunday)

A Fellowship Discussion Essay – Meeting Summary:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
— John 13:35

“If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God.”
— 1 Samuel 12:14

Introduction: The Resurrection and the Question

On Easter Sunday, the fellowship gathered with a question that has haunted Christians since Constantine: What is the relationship between following Christ and engaging in political action?

The question is not academic. We live in a time when birthright citizenship is being debated at the Supreme Court, mass immigration is reshaping the electorate, Christian voices are increasingly marginalized, and the mechanisms of political influence seem captured by hostile forces.

Should Christians organize politically to resist these trends? Or should we “come out” of the political system entirely and trust God to work through our obedience?

This Easter discussion revealed that the tension is real — but also that the resolution may lie not in choosing one path over the other, but in understanding what “coming out” actually means and what “political action” must be grounded in.

Part I: Michael’s Theory of Everything

The Wheel of Perception and Action

The meeting began with Michael Sherman — Thomas’s friend of sixty years — presenting his life’s work: a comprehensive framework for understanding how individuals and civilizations interact with reality.

His model, rendered as interlocking circles reminiscent of yin and yang, maps the cycle of experience:

For Individuals:

Look Inward — What inspires you, what you create, how you express it
Convene — How you share with others
Look Outward — What’s in the world, what roles are available, what you perceive

For Civilizations:

Substance — The material and cultural foundation
Artistic Vision — The soul of the civilization
Form — How that vision is expressed (institutions, outreach, etc.)

The cycle repeats: input, output, perceive, receive. As Michael summarized it: “In, output, out, input.”

The Question That Revealed Everything

Charlie asked the essential question: “Michael, what will be the benefit to an individual or a group or family or nation for absorbing this invention of yours?”

Michael’s answer was illuminating:

“To perceive more about what’s in his or her life, and to perceive more about what he or she can do with it by extrapolating.”

And then, with characteristic joy:

“It’s a fantastic world. It’s amazing this human life thing. Wow. Whoever invented it? Just kidding. What a great thing… I’m just utterly amazed to be alive. Just breathing is a thrill.”

Leonard observed: “We are living in a miracle. Truly. It is something that is one in a billion, maybe more, that could come to pass.”

The Overlap with CPP

Thomas noted that Michael’s framework maps remarkably well to Conscious Point Physics:

“God started it all, and he looks out from himself back at himself. So it’s very reminiscent… You’ve kind of applied different words to it. But it is very familiar in the sense that it’s mapping perceptions of different perspectives, different actions that you take from your perspective.”

The individual and the all interpenetrate. What’s inside you is shaped by outside influences; what’s outside is shaped by what you put into it. This is the yin-yang principle — and it is also the CPP principle of consciousness as the substrate of reality.

Part II: Michael’s Challenge — What Mechanism Resolves Differences?

The Five-Word Question

After extensive discussion about citizenship and political engagement, Michael posed the question that cut to the heart:

“What mechanism best resolves differences?”

He illustrated with the religious wars of Europe:

“Both the Protestants and Catholics during the hundreds of years of European wars during the 1400s to 1700s — they both believe in Christ. Protestants do, Catholics do. They go to the source, they go to the Bible. They both know they are right because the Lord supports them. And they go killing villages from the other side.”

The question is not rhetorical. It is urgent: If two groups both claim Christ, both claim Scripture, and both are ready to kill — what could you say to both of them before the battle begins?

Susan’s Answer: John 13:35

Susan offered the answer she has championed consistently:

“If we bring forward the understanding that Jesus said that people would know His disciples when they have love one to another… You say, ‘Wait a minute. You both believe in the Bible. You both believe in Jesus. Let’s sit down and talk about this particular verse.’ That should give food for thought for anybody who’s not feeling love for one another.”

The test is not doctrine but love. The test is not correctness but character. If you claim Christ but lack love for your fellow believer, something is wrong — not with your theology but with your heart.

Michael responded: “I wrote that down, and I love it. I’ve quoted it to others since you told me. Thank you, Susan. One of my two favorite Bible quotes.”

Part III: Leonard’s Challenge — Definitions and Jurisdiction

What Is Citizenship?

Leonard raised the foundational questions:

“We need to define certain words that are foundational to this subject, such as citizen, person, and jurisdiction… We also need to understand who and what the US Constitution acts upon, and what exactly does it constitute. Can an individual be a ‘citizen of a State of the Union’ but not a citizen of the US?”

He traced the etymology: “City-son” — a son of a city. Born into a group that claims authority over you.

And the deeper question: “Who owns you?”

Leonard’s answer: “It all depends on who I allow to control me.”

This is the foundation of American liberty — voluntary allegiance. But as Leonard noted, this is also how liberty is undermined:

“Liberty is fragile, because what’s required for liberty is eternal vigilance and knowledge of what’s going on. And a lot of people just put that shade over their eyes and just go along with what’s going on, and it leads them down this path of servitude.”

The Real Question

The birthright citizenship debate, Leonard argued, is just one of many prongs:

“This concept of birthright is being used across the globe, especially in Europe, to gain control and overthrow countries using mass illegal immigration… The left in this country has been using this tactic to gain and maintain political control for decades.”

But the mechanism is the same: use ambiguity in definitions to extend control over those who don’t understand what they’re agreeing to.

Thomas framed the fundamental issue:

“It really comes down to: is there really a right to have nations? Do we have a right to define a boundary and to exclude others and say, ‘This is the state that we want to live in’? That’s really the question.”

Part IV: Susan’s Thesis — Separation vs. Political Action

The Biblical Case for Coming Out

Susan presented a thesis that challenged the rest of the group:

“What I’m seeing in Scripture is a path that God has provided that we could actually step outside of the rule of these Gentile nations and be a separate people, but still be amongst them to be able to teach and share the gospel.”

She distinguished between two approaches:

The Political Approach: Organize, vote, lobby, demonstrate — work within the system to elect righteous leaders and pass righteous laws.

The Separation Approach: Come out of the Babylonian system; recognize Christ as our only King; trust God to work through our obedience rather than our political maneuvering.

Susan’s concern with the political approach:

“What you’re left with is people choosing the lesser of two evils all the time. You get somebody into office… and now they’re in a position where they have to vote for bills that have a whole bunch of other things attached to it… This is not how God works.”

The Biblical Promise

Susan read from 1 Samuel 12:14:

“If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God.”

And verse 24-25:

“Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart… But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.”

The answer, Susan argued, is not political strategy but obedience to God. Get the heart right, and God will handle the politics.

The Signs and Wonders

Susan pointed to the Book of Acts:

“We see in the Book of Acts this lifestyle that the Christians had, where they’re doing these healings, they have these signs… Why isn’t this happening now with us? I think one of the big reasons is because we’re not obeying Christ. If we would obey Christ, I think we would see his hand in our lives.”

The path forward is not better political organization but deeper obedience, which would produce the supernatural confirmation that would draw people to faith.

Part V: The Synthesis — Both/And, Not Either/Or

Thomas’s Response

Thomas pushed back, but carefully:

“The issue is not one of whether we should go to North Idaho and separate or just believe and we’re great. The issue is: what does it mean to separate?”

He proposed that separation is internal, not geographical:

“We come out of agreeing with evil. We don’t go along with it. We don’t participate. We say no, I will not do this. And I am willing to put myself as a human shield, as a flaming torch, saying No, I will not do this.”

This is not withdrawal from the world. It is witness within the world — witness that may require organizing, demonstrating, suffering, dying.

The Gideon Model

Thomas returned to Gideon:

“Gideon did not do it with one man. He had 300. And we need a group.”

The 300 were a chosen cadre — small, selected, committed. They engaged in what was essentially information warfare: lights, noise, the appearance of overwhelming force. The Midianites panicked and destroyed themselves.

This was political action — but political action rooted in obedience to God’s specific command.

The 150-Cell Concept

Thomas proposed a structure:

“Malcolm Gladwell said 150 is the size of the group you can know everybody in, and you can have a level of collegiality. It feels like a family. Get more than that, and it becomes impersonal.”

The vision: Thousands of 150-person cells throughout the nation, each mobilized around Kingdom principles. The cells coordinate. They share information. They take action when called.

“If we have people that are on fire for the Lord, and they listen and they pray, and they read something and go, ‘This is my issue’ — and they put it out in their group, and other people say, ‘Hey, I’m with that too’ — you have a place to put your passion.”

The Missing Foundation

But Thomas emphasized — and this was the synthesis:

“All of this is completely for nothing if the heart transformation isn’t there. When you have people that are on fire for the Lord, and they listen and they pray… that is the foundation. I didn’t even say it because it was so obvious to me. But that is the heart of it.”

Political action without heart transformation is useless — or worse, it’s the Crusades. Heart transformation without any expression is incomplete — faith without works is dead.

The synthesis: Transform hearts first. Then the transformed hearts will know what action to take. And they will take it together, with one heart, to make Christ King.

Part VI: Leonard’s Historical Perspective

The Parable of the Vineyard

Leonard read Luke 20:9-18 — the parable of the vineyard owner who sends servants to collect the fruit, and they are beaten and killed, until finally he sends his son, who is also killed.

“This is how the Lord does things. He sends servants — prophets — to his people, and usually they’re rejected… The Jews at the time of Christ thought so much of these prophets, but they didn’t realize that their ancestors rejected them and killed them.”

The pattern repeats. Those who carry God’s message are rejected. But eventually, the stone the builders rejected becomes the cornerstone — and grinds to powder those who resist.

The Question of Method

Leonard asked: “What is different that we could do?”

He noted that movements have been tried before — the Tea Party, for instance — with temporary success but ultimate absorption or defeat.

“To do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result — what is that? Insanity. We need to be sane about this. We need to take a different approach to persuade people to think critically about what they’re doing.”

The Covenant Christian Model

Leonard shared his own experience:

“This thing that I’m involved with, this Covenant Christian thing — that’s what we are. We’re just all these little groups, and then we have these conferences we call ‘come together.’ It’s pretty good. We get a lot of people, and we’re all striving to have one heart — that’s actually part of the covenant we’ve taken — to be one heart in Christ’s heart.”

This is already happening. The Lord is building something. The question is whether we will join it.

Part VII: The Resolution — One Heart

Susan’s Final Word

Susan brought it home with 1 Chronicles 12:38:

“All these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.”

“I believe that this describes what we need to do. Instead of focusing on ‘let’s organize so everyone’s doing the right thing,’ if we will come together with one heart, making Christ our King — Christ is wonderful at organizing and guiding people.”

The danger of organizing beyond Christ:

“One of the dangers in doing the kind of organization beyond just helping people believe in Christ is that they would be better guided by Christ directly.”

The solution:

“If they put Christ as their King, and if they have conversations with love — not with anger or contention — then people persuade each other.”

Thomas’s Agreement

Thomas agreed — and clarified:

“That is the heart of what I am advocating. Putting it out there. Who’s with me? Am I alone? Am I a lone voice crying in the wilderness, or is this like the legions of angels shouting Hosanna?”

The vision is not organization instead of Christ. It is organization under Christ:

“No king but King Jesus. That’s the ground of it. All of this is completely for nothing if that isn’t the case.”

Charlie’s Gideon Insight

Charlie offered a practical perspective:

“When Gideon comes on stage, he’s sneaking behind the well, threshing his wheat to feed his many wives and children… You have an Israelite here who’s just doing his best to get by and protect what’s his. That’s when an angel appears to him and calls him the mighty man of valor.”

The lesson:

“I think the answer is that we each have to be doing our own thing, living our lives and enforcing our rights the best we can, always appealing to God. ‘Tell me what else is there that I can do.’ And I think God will show us. If we do our best to enforce what is right in our own lives, and always appealing to God — just open my eyes to what I can do — I think he’ll open opportunities.”

Part VIII: Practical Application

What We Learned

Heart transformation is foundational — Without transformed hearts, political action is Crusade-level disaster. With transformed hearts, political action flows naturally from obedience.
Separation is internal — We don’t withdraw from society. We come out of agreeing with evil while remaining among people to share the gospel.
The 150-cell model — Small groups where everyone knows everyone, coordinated across the nation, each finding their own calling but supporting each other.
The John 13:35 test — Before any action, ask: Is this done in love? Will this demonstrate to the world that we are Christ’s disciples?
One heart to make Christ King — The goal is not our political agenda but Christ’s Kingship. When we have one heart for that, He will guide the action.
Be faithful where you are — Like Gideon, do your best in your current circumstances while appealing to God for opportunities. He will open doors.

What We Still Need

Susan’s essay — She has written an essay on separation that the fellowship has not yet fully engaged with. The conversation revealed that this needs to happen.
The mechanism — How do the cells form? How do they coordinate? How is information shared? This is the Voting Network’s vision, but it needs to be implemented.
The first demonstration — At some point, talk must become action. The first mobilization, the first public witness, the first costly stand.
Transformed hearts at scale — Everything depends on this. Without it, nothing else matters.

Part IX: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On Political Action

Do you agree that heart transformation must precede political action? Or can political action itself be a form of witness that produces heart transformation?
What is the difference between political action grounded in Christ and political action that merely uses Christian language?
How do you evaluate the Tea Party movement? What worked? What failed? What would be different about a Christ-centered movement?

On Separation

What does “coming out of Babylon” mean to you? Is it geographical? Institutional? Internal?
Susan argues that the political process inevitably involves choosing the lesser of two evils. Do you agree? Is there another way?
How do you balance “being in the world but not of it” with active engagement in political and cultural battles?

On Unity

Michael’s question: What mechanism best resolves differences between sincere Christians who disagree? How do you prevent another Protestant-Catholic war?
How do you maintain “one heart” when there are genuine disagreements about strategy, priorities, or even doctrine?
What would it look like for our fellowship to have “one heart to make Christ King”?

On Action

Charlie suggested the Gideon model: be faithful where you are, always appealing to God for guidance, and He will open opportunities. Is this sufficient? Or does it need more structure?
Thomas proposed 150-person cells as the organizing unit. Does this scale? How would you implement it?
What is the first step you could take this week to move from discussion to action?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On heart transformation:

“All of this is completely for nothing if the heart transformation isn’t there… That is the foundation.” — Thomas

On separation:

“We come out of agreeing with evil. We don’t go along with it. We don’t participate. We say no, I will not do this.” — Thomas

On the John 13:35 test:

“People would know His disciples when they have love one to another… That should give food for thought for anybody who’s not feeling love for one another.” — Susan

On one heart:

“If we will come together with one heart, making Christ our King — Christ is wonderful at organizing and guiding people.” — Susan

On being faithful where you are:

“I think the answer is that we each have to be doing our own thing, living our lives and enforcing our rights the best we can, always appealing to God.” — Charlie

On the 150-cell model:

“150 is the size of the group you can know everybody in, and you can have a level of collegiality. It feels like a family.” — Thomas (citing Gladwell)

On the real question:

“It really comes down to: What is God’s law, and how are you regulating yourself?” — Leonard

On being called:

“None of us are worthy of doing the work for God’s kingdom intentionally. But when you’re called, you’ve got to do the work.” — Armond

The Easter Closing Prayer

Lord God, You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Every earthly authority exists under Your sovereignty and will answer to Your judgment.

We thank You for the gift of citizenship in our earthly nation and in Your eternal kingdom. Help us hold both with integrity, honoring earthly authority where it reflects Your justice and resisting it where it violates Your law.

Give us wisdom to understand the issues of our day. Give us courage to speak truth even when it costs us. Give us humility to know we may be wrong, and openness to correction.

We pray for our nation that its laws would conform to Your righteousness, that its leaders would fear You, that its citizens would be vigilant.

We pray for the Supreme Court as it considers the question of citizenship. Give the justices wisdom to interpret the Constitution according to its original intent, and courage to correct the errors of the past.

And we pray for ourselves that we would be faithful citizens of both realms, engaged in the conversation, contributing our arguments, bearing the cost, and trusting in Your ultimate victory.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“He is risen!”

“He is risen indeed.”

Addendum: Armond’s Update — Faith with Works in Action

After the main meeting, Armond shared an update on his business developments that illustrates the “faith with works” principle in action.

Armond’s reflection:

“This is going to be good for the kingdom, because this is going to provide seekers — people that need God to prove his hand — this is for them.”

This is the model: transform hearts, then take action. The transformed heart knows what to build. The tools (including AI) serve the vision. The vision serves the Kingdom.

“When you’re called, you’ve got to do the work.”

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
— Proverbs 29:2

“I teach my people correct principles, and they govern themselves.”
— Joseph Smith (quoted by Leonard)

Participants: Thomas Abshier, Susan Gutierrez, Charlie Gutierrez, Leonard Hofheins, Armond Boulware, Michael Sherman (guest)

Source Material: Renaissance Ministries fellowship meeting, April 20, 2026 (Easter Sunday); Scripture; previous fellowship discussions.

Related Christos Content: “The Duty to Judge the Law” (birthright citizenship); “Justice Between Unequals” (Thucydides and power); “The Scourge of Ungodly Character” (COVID and national character); Voting Network concept.

The Price of National Arrogance

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

The Scourge of Ungodly Character

COVID, Lebensraum, and the Pattern of the Strong Exploiting the Weak

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”
— Thucydides

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
— 1 Timothy 6:10

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
— Matthew 19:30

Introduction: A Case Study in Power

Dr. Rick Kirschner, a naturopathic physician and respected colleague, recently posted his analysis of the COVID-19 intervention. His documentation — which we will not reproduce in full but will engage substantively — represents a devastating case study in what happens when the strong exercise power over the weak without restraint.

The numbers are staggering:

Massive wealth transfer from the middle class to the already wealthy
Small businesses destroyed while corporations flourished
Experimental interventions mandated on populations who could not refuse
Dissenting voices silenced, careers destroyed, families divided
Children’s development disrupted, mental health crises created
Deaths and injuries from the interventions themselves, often unacknowledged

Whether every claim in Dr. Kirschner’s analysis proves accurate in the historical record is not our primary concern here. What is undeniable is that a pattern emerged — a pattern we have seen before:

The strong took what they would. The weak endured what they must. And justice was spoken of only between equals.

This essay connects the COVID experience to our previous exploration of Thucydidean justice, to the deeper question of national character, and to the historical pattern of lebensraum — the ideology that justified the strong taking from the weak in the name of “necessity.”

Part I: The Pattern Revealed

What Actually Happened

Strip away the debates about virology and epidemiology. Strip away the partisan framing. Look at the structural pattern:

1. The strong became stronger

Billionaires added trillions to their wealth
Large corporations expanded while competitors were forcibly closed
Pharmaceutical companies received liability immunity while mandating their products
Government authority expanded dramatically
Tech platforms became arbiters of permissible speech

2. The weak became weaker

Small businesses closed permanently — over 200,000 in the US alone
Workers lost jobs for refusing medical interventions
Children lost years of education and socialization
Mental health crises exploded, especially among the young
The elderly died alone, isolated from family
Those injured by interventions were dismissed, denied, gaslit

3. Justice was not spoken of

Dissenting scientists were silenced, not debated
Injured parties had no recourse (liability shields)
Those who questioned were labeled “misinformation”
No accountability for policies that failed
No apologies for harms caused

This is the Thucydidean framework in action. The strong did what they could. The weak endured what they must. And justice? It was spoken of only between equals — between the powerful institutions that negotiated among themselves.

The Melian Dialogue, 2020 Edition

The Athenians told the Melians: Submit or be destroyed. Appeals to justice are irrelevant when power is asymmetric.

The 2020 version:

“Take the intervention or lose your job.” “Comply or your children cannot attend school.” “Accept the narrative or be silenced on every platform.” “Submit to the mandate or be excluded from society.”

The Melians appealed to justice, to the gods, to common decency. The Athenians replied that such appeals only matter between equals.

Sound familiar?

Those who questioned the narrative appealed to science, to informed consent, to bodily autonomy, to constitutional rights. The response: “We have the power to mandate, to silence, to exclude. Your appeals are irrelevant.”

The strong took what they would.

Part II: The Root Cause — Loss of Godly Character

Beyond Policy Failure

The COVID response was not merely a policy failure. Policies can be corrected. Mistakes can be acknowledged. Lessons can be learned.

What we witnessed was something deeper: the revelation of national character.

When a crisis arrives, it does not create character. It reveals character. The pressure of emergency stripped away pretense and showed what was actually present in the hearts of those with power.

And what was revealed?

The love of money — Pharmaceutical profits protected at all costs; wealth transfer accelerated
The love of power — Emergency authority seized and held long past necessity
The love of control — Dissent silenced, conformity demanded, deviation punished
The absence of mercy — The vulnerable sacrificed, the injured dismissed, the questioning destroyed

This is not a partisan observation. Both political tribes participated, each according to their own form of the disease.

The Common Man’s Heart

But the failure was not only among elites. The common man participated:

Neighbors reported neighbors for gathering
Families divided over compliance
Workers demanded the firing of non-compliant colleagues
Citizens cheered the exclusion of the “unvaccinated” from society

Where was the embedded care for fellow man? Where was the Golden Rule?

When the opportunity arose to exercise power over the weak — even the small power of social pressure — many chose to exercise it. The strong (those who complied with the approved narrative) took what they would. The weak (those who dissented) endured what they must.

This reveals something disturbing about national character: The principle of justice toward the weak has not been embedded in the hearts of the people.

Given the opportunity to exploit power differential, many did. Given the opportunity to exercise mercy, many chose judgment. Given the opportunity to protect the vulnerable from overreach, many joined the overreach.

The Scourge

This is a Godly scourge. We are suffering for our lack of character.

The economic damage, the health damage, the social damage, the loss of trust in institutions — these are not merely consequences of bad policy. They are the fruit of hearts that did not know how to love neighbor as self.

And the scourge will continue until character changes. Because without transformation of heart, it is only a matter of time and circumstance before the same pattern emerges again — potentially with much greater suppression of the weak.

Part III: The Lebensraum Pattern

Expansion at the Expense of the Weak

Lebensraum — “living space” — was the Nazi ideology that justified taking land from “inferior” peoples to benefit the German nation.

The logic was Thucydidean:

Germany needs space to thrive (the strong have needs)
The Slavic peoples of the East are inferior (the weak have no standing)
Therefore, Germany may take what it needs (justice is spoken of only between equals)

Hitler did not invent this logic. He applied it with industrial efficiency. But the underlying pattern is ancient:

The strong define their needs as necessities. The weak are redefined as obstacles. Justice becomes irrelevant because the parties are not equals.

The COVID Parallel

Consider the structural parallels:

Lebensraum	COVID Response
“Germany needs living space”	“We need to stop the spread”
“The Slavic peoples can be displaced”	“The non-compliant can be excluded”
“This is a biological necessity”	“This is a public health emergency”
“The strong race must secure its future”	“The compliant must be protected from the non-compliant”
“Inferior peoples have no standing”	“Anti-vaxxers are killing grandma”
“Justice doesn’t apply to unequals”	“Your bodily autonomy is selfish”

The scale is different. The methods are different. But the logic is identical:

The strong define a “necessity” that requires action
The weak are redefined as obstacles to that necessity
Normal principles of justice are suspended because the situation is “exceptional”
The weak must endure whatever the strong impose

Why This Comparison Matters

I am not claiming that COVID measures were equivalent to Nazi genocide. That would be historically illiterate and morally obtuse.

I am claiming that the underlying logic is the same — and that this logic, once accepted, has no natural stopping point.

If:

The strong may define what constitutes “necessity”
The weak may be redefined as obstacles to be overcome
Normal principles of justice may be suspended in “emergencies”
The weak must endure whatever the strong impose

Then the only limit is what the strong choose to impose. Today it is mandates and exclusion. Tomorrow?

The Nazis did not start with gas chambers. They started with defining a necessity, identifying an obstacle, suspending normal principles, and imposing on those who could not resist.

The COVID response did not start with camps. But it started with the same logic. And that logic, unchecked, leads where it has always led.

Part IV: The Transformation Required

A Change of Heart

The solution is not merely better policy. It is not merely different leaders. It is not merely reformed institutions.

The solution is transformation of character — at the individual level and the national level.

What must change?

1. The love of money must be dethroned

“For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

The COVID response was shaped at every level by financial incentives:

Hospitals paid more for COVID diagnoses
Pharmaceutical companies earned billions
Tech platforms grew as physical commerce was suppressed
Wealth concentrated while the masses impoverished

Until the love of money is dethroned — replaced by love of God and neighbor — the strong will continue to structure emergencies for profit.

2. The love of power must be dethroned

Power was seized during COVID that has not been relinquished. Emergency authorities normalized. Surveillance expanded. Speech controlled.

Those who tasted power rarely give it back voluntarily. The love of power must be dethroned — replaced by the understanding that power is a test, not a license.

3. The fear of man must be replaced by fear of God

Many participated in COVID overreach because they feared social consequences more than divine judgment. They feared being labeled “anti-science” more than being unjust to their neighbors.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

The fear of man drove conformity. The fear of God would have driven justice.

4. The Golden Rule must be embedded in hearts

Not merely known. Not merely approved. Embedded — so deeply rooted that it operates automatically, even under pressure.

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Matthew 7:12)

Would you want to be fired for your medical choices? Then don’t fire others. Would you want your voice silenced for asking questions? Then don’t silence others. Would you want to be excluded from society for non-compliance? Then don’t exclude others.

This principle must become reflex, not calculation.

National Repentance

What would national repentance look like?

Acknowledgment — Admitting what was done, without excuse or minimization
Accountability — Holding responsible those who abused power, even if they are powerful
Restitution — Restoring what was taken: livelihoods, reputations, relationships
Reform — Changing structures so the same abuses cannot recur
Recommitment — Embedding the principles of justice toward the weak in education, culture, and law

Without such repentance, we remain under the scourge. The same character that produced COVID overreach will produce the next crisis’s overreach — potentially worse.

Part V: The Divine Perspective

God Experiences Both Sides

As we explored in “Justice Between Unequals”:

God is present in both the strong and the weak. He experiences both sides of every interaction.

During COVID:

God was present in the executive who mandated compliance and in the worker who lost his job for refusing
God was present in the pharmaceutical company and in the injured patient denied acknowledgment
God was present in the tech platform and in the silenced voice
God was present in the compliant neighbor and in the reported dissenter

Every act of exploitation was felt by the One who sustains both parties. Every injustice registered in the consciousness that experiences all perspectives.

The Strong Man’s Judgment

The strong man who used COVID to:

Accumulate wealth while others impoverished
Seize power while others lost freedom
Silence dissent while claiming to speak for science
Exclude the non-compliant while claiming compassion

This man revealed his character. He acted on animal impulses — the desire for money, power, control — unconstrained by consideration for those who could not resist.

And what has he gained?

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

He has gained temporary advantage in a temporary world. He has lost the opportunity to develop the character that qualifies for Kingdom responsibility.

The first shall be last.

The Weak Man’s Vindication

And the weak? Those who:

Lost jobs for conscience
Were silenced for truth-telling
Were excluded for non-compliance
Were dismissed when injured

They endured what they must. But their endurance was not without witness. Their suffering was experienced by the One who sustains them.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

The last shall be first.

Part VI: The Warning

It Will Happen Again

Without transformation of character, it will happen again.

The next crisis — whether pandemic, climate, economic, or conflict — will provide the same opportunity:

The strong will define necessity
The weak will be redefined as obstacles
Normal principles will be suspended
The weak will endure what the strong impose

And many will participate. Because the character that participated last time has not been transformed.

The Stakes Are Higher

Each iteration of this pattern escalates:

The infrastructure of control is more developed
The precedents for overreach are established
The technology of surveillance and enforcement is more capable
The social conditioning to compliance is more thorough

The COVID response was a trial run. The next iteration will have more data, more capability, more precedent.

Unless character changes.

The Only Defense

The only defense against the next iteration is transformed character — at scale.

Not just policy reform. Not just different leaders. Not just better institutions.

People who will not comply with injustice, regardless of cost. People who will speak truth, regardless of consequences. People who will extend justice to the weak, regardless of power differential. People who fear God more than man.

This is the Christos vision: forming people of such character, connected in networks of mutual support, embedded throughout society.

The strong can only take what they will if the populace complies. Mass non-compliance — rooted in Godly character — is the only restraint on Thucydidean power.

Part VII: Practical Implications

For Individual Christians

Examine your COVID response — Did you participate in the exclusion of the weak? Did you report your neighbors? Did you demand compliance from those who could not resist? Repent where necessary.
Embed the Golden Rule — Not as calculation but as reflex. Would you want this done to you? Then do not do it to others.
Prepare for the next crisis — It will come. Your character will be tested. Are you developing the virtue to resist when resistance is costly?
Fear God more than man — The pressure to conform will be intense. Social costs will be real. But the judgment of God is more real.

For the Fellowship

Create accountability structures — Help each other maintain character under pressure
Develop discernment — Learn to recognize the Thucydidean pattern when it emerges in new forms
Build resilience — Economic, social, spiritual resilience to withstand exclusion and pressure
Extend justice — Actively protect the weak within your sphere of influence

For Society

Demand accountability — Those who abused power during COVID should face consequences
Reform structures — Emergency powers must have limits; liability shields must end; dissent must be protected
Educate the next generation — The pattern must be recognized; the principles must be taught
Advocate for the vulnerable — Those injured, excluded, or destroyed deserve acknowledgment and restitution

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the COVID Response

Looking back, where do you see the Thucydidean pattern — the strong taking what they will, the weak enduring what they must — in the COVID response?
Did you participate in pressure on the non-compliant? How do you evaluate that now?
What does repentance look like for those who supported policies that harmed others?

On National Character

The essay argues that COVID revealed rather than created character failures. Do you agree? What was revealed about national character?
What would national repentance for COVID overreach look like? Is it possible?
How do we transform national character? What levers exist for such transformation?

On the Lebensraum Parallel

Is it legitimate to compare COVID response logic to lebensraum logic? Where does the comparison illuminate, and where does it mislead?
The essay argues that the same logic, unchecked, has no natural stopping point. Do you agree? What would check it?
Are we at risk of a more severe iteration of the same pattern? What conditions would enable it?

On the Divine Perspective

If God experiences both sides of every interaction, what did He experience during COVID?
How does the “first shall be last” principle apply to those who gained during COVID at others’ expense?
How does the “last shall be first” principle provide hope to those who suffered?

On Preparation

What character development do you need to resist the next crisis’s overreach?
How can the fellowship prepare collectively?
What practical steps can you take now to be ready?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On the pattern:

“The strong took what they would. The weak endured what they must. And justice? It was spoken of only between equals — between the powerful institutions that negotiated among themselves.”

On character revealed:

“When a crisis arrives, it does not create character. It reveals character. The pressure of emergency stripped away pretense and showed what was actually present in the hearts of those with power.”

On the common man:

“The principle of justice toward the weak has not been embedded in the hearts of the people. Given the opportunity to exploit power differential, many did.”

On the scourge:

“This is a Godly scourge. We are suffering for our lack of character. And the scourge will continue until character changes.”

On lebensraum logic:

“The scale is different. The methods are different. But the logic is identical… This logic, once accepted, has no natural stopping point.”

On the solution:

“The only defense against the next iteration is transformed character — at scale. People who will not comply with injustice, regardless of cost.”

On urgency:

“The COVID response was a trial run. The next iteration will have more data, more capability, more precedent. Unless character changes.”

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, we have sinned. As a nation, we have allowed the strong to exploit the weak. As individuals, many of us participated — in fear, in conformity, in the desire to be on the side of power.

Forgive us. We reported our neighbors. We demanded compliance. We excluded the dissenting. We dismissed the injured. We chose comfort over courage, approval over integrity, power over mercy.

Transform our character. Embed the Golden Rule so deeply that it becomes reflex, not calculation. Make us people who fear You more than man, who extend justice to the weak regardless of cost, who will not comply with evil even when compliance is rewarded.

Heal our nation. Where trust has been shattered, rebuild it on truth. Where relationships have been broken, reconcile them in humility. Where bodies and minds have been harmed, bring healing and acknowledgment.

And prepare us for what is coming. The pattern will recur. The test will return. Make us ready — not with confidence in ourselves, but with character formed by You.

We deserve the scourge we are suffering. But we appeal to Your mercy. Not because we merit it, but because You are good.

In Jesus’ name, who was weak that the weak might be strong, who was last that the last might be first. Amen.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
— Micah 6:8

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
— Isaiah 1:17

Source Material: Dr. Rick Kirschner, COVID intervention analysis (Facebook, April 2026); Thomas Abshier reflection on Thucydidean justice; Copilot analysis of lebensraum; Scripture; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions.

Related Christos Content: “Justice Between Unequals” (Thucydides and the Golden Rule); “The Kings You Cannot See” (manufactured movements); “The Duty to Judge the Law” (citizen responsibility); “The Regulated Enemy” (demonic influence on power structures).

Do Unto Others is Justice

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

Justice Between Unequals

How the Golden Rule Dissolves the Power Asymmetry

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”
— Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
— Matthew 7:12

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
— Matthew 19:30

Introduction: The Coldest Line in Political Philosophy

In 416 BC, the Athenians sailed to the island of Melos with an ultimatum: submit or be destroyed. The Melians, a small neutral colony, appealed to justice, to the gods, to the common decency of Greeks dealing with Greeks.

The Athenians replied with what may be the coldest line in the history of political philosophy:

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”

This is not a statement of values. It is a statement of fact — or so the Athenians claimed. They were describing how the world actually works, stripped of moral pretense.

And they were right. Descriptively.

In the absence of God, justice is indeed a function of power symmetry. It emerges only when neither party can dominate the other. Where power is asymmetric, the strong impose and the weak submit. Appeals to fairness are simply noise.

The Melians refused to submit. The Athenians killed every man of military age, enslaved the women and children, and colonized the island.

This is the world Thucydides documented. It is the world we still live in — at the level of nations, corporations, and often within families and communities. Power determines outcomes. Justice is spoken of only between equals.

But there is another perspective — one that dissolves the power asymmetry entirely.

Part I: The Pagan Analysis

Justice as Political Artifact

Thucydides is not celebrating the strong. He is not condemning the weak. He is making an observation about how justice functions in human affairs:

Justice only matters when both sides have the power to make it matter.

Consider the logic:

Between equals: Neither can dominate, so both must appeal to justice, fairness, and mutual obligation. Justice becomes a practical necessity — the terms of an equilibrium.
Between unequals: The stronger has no incentive to consider justice. The weaker has no ability to enforce it. The appeal to fairness is a plea, not a claim.

This is not cynicism. It is structural analysis. In a world without transcendent moral authority, justice is simply what emerges when power is balanced.

The Implications

If Thucydides is right, then:

The weak can appeal to justice — but their appeal has no binding force. It is a moral plea, not a political tool.
The strong can ignore justice — because nothing compels obedience unless the consequences of ignoring it are too costly.
Among equals, justice becomes necessary — because neither side can impose its will without suffering unacceptable losses.

This is why international relations, corporate negotiations, and even family dynamics so often follow this pattern. Power determines who listens and who is heard.

The Modern Applications

The Thucydidean principle is visible everywhere:

Nations: Great powers do what they will. Small nations endure what they must. International law is “spoken of” when great powers face each other; it is ignored when they face the weak.
Corporations: Large corporations impose terms on suppliers and customers. Small businesses comply or perish. Antitrust law is “spoken of” only when corporations of comparable size collide.
Individuals: The wealthy navigate a different legal system than the poor. The powerful escape consequences the powerless cannot.
Relationships: The emotionally stronger partner often dominates. The weaker accommodates. “Fairness” is invoked when neither can afford to lose the other.

This is the world. This is how it works. Thucydides was right.

Unless there is a God.

Part II: The Divine Dissolution

The Golden Rule Reframes Everything

Jesus offered a principle that, properly understood, dissolves the entire Thucydidean framework:

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

This is not merely good advice. It is a complete reframing of the power question.

The Golden Rule does not say: “Treat others well if they can retaliate.”
It does not say: “Be fair to those who can enforce fairness.”
It says: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — regardless of power differential.

Why would anyone do this? Why would the strong constrain themselves when they don’t have to?

Because God is watching. And more than watching — God is present in both parties.

God as Both Rich and Poor

Here is the insight that transforms everything:

God is simultaneously the strong man and the weak man. He experiences both sides of every interaction.

This is not metaphor. It is ontology.

In the Christian understanding, God is not a distant observer. He is:

The Creator who sustains all existence moment by moment
The One in whom “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28)
The Presence who said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40)

When the strong man exploits the weak, he is exploiting God. When the rich man ignores the poor, he is ignoring God. When power is exercised without justice, it is exercised against the One who inhabits both positions.

This is why the Golden Rule is not merely ethical advice but divine law. It reflects the structure of reality itself.

The Level Playing Field

The Thucydidean framework assumes that the strong and weak are separate parties with separate interests. Justice only emerges when they are forced to negotiate.

But if God is present in both parties, the field is always level — not because power is equal, but because the same Person experiences both sides.

The wealthy man who exploits the poor is, in a sense, exploiting himself — or rather, exploiting the God who dwells in both. His apparent advantage is an illusion. His power to act without consequence is temporary.

The Christian framework says: There are no unequals before God. The apparent power differential is a test of character, not a license for exploitation.

Part III: The Test of Character

What Power Reveals

The Thucydidean world is actually a testing ground. Power differential reveals character.

Consider: If justice only matters when enforced, then:

The man who is just only toward equals has no character — he is merely calculating
The man who is just toward the weak, when he could exploit them without consequence, has genuine virtue
The man who exploits because he can reveals his true nature

This is why Jesus said:

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10)

Power is a test. How you treat those who cannot retaliate reveals who you actually are.

The Animal Impulses

The strong man who disregards justice is acting on animal impulses. He sees, he wants, he takes. There is no constraint beyond capability.

This is not strength. It is weakness — the weakness of a soul that has not developed beyond appetite.

Ripperger, in our previous essay, noted that demons are “psychologically compatible” with certain humans. What makes a human compatible with demonic influence? Precisely this: the willingness to impose one’s will without regard for justice, to take because one can, to ignore the suffering of those who cannot resist.

The strong man who exploits the weak has not escaped the moral order. He has revealed his alignment with it — and it is not with God.

The Unconstrained Rich Man

“The wealthy/strong man, unseen/unknown by God in his own perception, does not fear God and acts according to his animal impulses, and enforces his will, because he can, and he can get the satisfaction he desires, unconcerned by the suffering of the poor/weak.”

This is the Psalm 73 problem — the prosperity of the wicked:

“They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment… And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?” (Psalm 73:5-6, 11)

The strong man believes himself unconstrained because he does not perceive God’s presence. He thinks he is operating in a Thucydidean universe where power determines outcomes.

But he is wrong. He is merely postponing the accounting.

Part IV: The First Shall Be Last

The Reversal

Jesus made a statement that only makes sense if the Thucydidean framework is incomplete:

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

Why would the first become last?

Not because God is arbitrary. Not because He enjoys reversing worldly hierarchies. But because:

The “first” in this world have often achieved their position by violating justice toward those who could not resist. Their character is revealed by their actions. And character determines status in the Kingdom.

The rich man who exploited the poor never developed the character of Godliness. He never learned to:

Constrain his appetites when he didn’t have to
Consider the suffering of those who couldn’t retaliate
Act justly when injustice would go unpunished
See God in the face of the weak

He will be given low status in the Kingdom — appropriate to his low character.

Meanwhile, the poor man who maintained integrity despite powerlessness, who treated others justly even when he could not enforce justice for himself, who trusted God when the world offered no hope — this man has developed the character that qualifies for Kingdom leadership.

The Character Development Framework

The Thucydidean world is not God’s ideal. It is His training ground.

Power asymmetry exists not because God approves of exploitation, but because it is the optimal environment for developing character. Consider:

The strong are tested: Will you constrain yourself when you don’t have to? Will you see God in the weak?
The weak are tested: Will you maintain integrity when no one will defend you? Will you trust God when power offers no hope?
Both are given opportunity: To develop the character that prepares them for eternal assignment.

This is why “the first shall be last” — not as punishment, but as natural consequence. Those who never developed self-constraint in this life are not prepared for positions of responsibility in the next.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Jesus told a story that illustrates this perfectly (Luke 16:19-31):

The rich man “was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.” Lazarus, a beggar covered with sores, lay at his gate desiring crumbs.

Both died. Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man was in torment.

Note: Jesus does not say the rich man committed any specific crime. He simply ignored Lazarus. He had the power to help and didn’t. He acted in the Thucydidean mode — justice (or mercy) toward the weak was simply not his concern.

And now the reversal is complete. The rich man begs Abraham for a drop of water. Abraham replies:

“Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25)

The rich man, who spoke of justice only with his equals, now finds himself on the weak side of an unbridgeable chasm.

Part V: The CPP Perspective

God as Substrate

In Conscious Point Physics, God is not a distant being observing the universe from outside. He is the conscious substrate in which all existence occurs. Every Conscious Point executes its rules within the field that God sustains.

This means:

God is present in every interaction, not as observer but as participant
The distinction between “strong” and “weak” is a surface phenomenon; at the substrate level, the same consciousness experiences both
Every act of exploitation is felt by the One who sustains both exploiter and exploited

The Golden Rule, in CPP terms, is not just ethical wisdom — it is a description of how reality is structured. To harm another is to harm the fabric of consciousness in which you yourself exist.

The Nexus and Justice

The Nexus, in CPP, is the atemporal, non-local coordination of all Conscious Points. It is the mechanism by which coherence is maintained across the universe.

Justice, in this framework, is not a political artifact that emerges from power symmetry. It is a feature of the Nexus itself — the principle by which the fabric of reality maintains its integrity.

When justice is violated, it is not merely a social problem. It is a distortion of the Nexus — a tear in the fabric that must eventually be repaired.

The “accounting” that awaits the unjust is not arbitrary punishment. It is the restoration of coherence — the universe returning to its proper configuration.

The Regulation of Power

Just as demons are “regulated” (Ripperger’s insight from our previous essay), so is human power. The strong man thinks he is unconstrained, but he operates within a system that:

Records every action
Experiences every consequence
Will eventually balance every account

The Thucydidean world is real at the surface level. But beneath the surface, the Nexus maintains the ultimate ledger.

Part VI: Practical Implications

For the Strong

If you have power — whether financial, physical, social, or positional — understand:

Your power is a test, not a license. How you treat those who cannot resist reveals your character.
God is present in the weak. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these…”
The Golden Rule applies regardless of power differential. You are to treat others as you would want to be treated, not as your power allows.
Your character is being formed. Every decision to constrain yourself when you don’t have to develops the virtue that qualifies for Kingdom responsibility.
The first shall be last. If your position is built on exploitation of the powerless, your apparent success is preparing your ultimate demotion.

For the Weak

If you lack power — if you are on the receiving end of the Thucydidean equation — understand:

Your situation is not the final word. The reversal is coming.
Your character is being formed. Maintaining integrity under pressure develops the virtue that qualifies for Kingdom elevation.
God sees and experiences your suffering. You are not alone; the One who sustains reality is present in your pain.
Justice delayed is not justice denied. The accounting will be complete, even if not in this life.
Your response matters. How you treat those even weaker than yourself — and how you treat those who oppress you — reveals and shapes your character.

For All

Reject the Thucydidean framework as ultimate. It describes surface reality, not deep reality.
Apply the Golden Rule universally. Not because of consequence calculation, but because God is in both parties.
Evaluate your own character. How do you treat those who cannot retaliate? That is who you actually are.
Pray for the strong. They face a test that most fail. Their apparent success may be preparing their destruction.
Trust God for justice. The weak cannot always enforce justice, but the One who sustains reality will complete the accounting.

Part VII: The Melian Epilogue

The Athenians destroyed Melos. They killed the men, enslaved the women and children, and colonized the island.

They won.

Eleven years later, Athens lost the Peloponnesian War. Their fleet was destroyed. Their empire collapsed. Their walls were torn down. Sparta imposed terms.

The strong became weak. The logic they had applied to Melos was applied to them.

And now, 2,400 years later, we remember the Melians not as victims but as witnesses — their appeal to justice echoing across millennia, while the Athenian empire is dust.

Thucydides documented the power calculus accurately. But he also documented its limits. The strong do take what they will — for a time. But “many that are first shall be last.”

The universe has a longer memory than empires.

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the Thucydidean Framework

Do you agree that, descriptively, justice often functions as Thucydides describes — emerging only between equals? Can you give examples from current events?
If you had to live in a purely Thucydidean world (no God, no afterlife, no ultimate accounting), would it change how you behave? Be honest.
The Athenians were not monsters by their own standards — they were applying what they considered realistic principles. How do we evaluate “realistic” ethics?

On the Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is found in virtually every major religion and ethical system. Why do you think it’s so universal? And why is it so universally violated?
How does understanding God’s presence in both parties (strong and weak) change the meaning of the Golden Rule?
Is the Golden Rule practical in a world that operates by Thucydidean logic? How do you live by it without being destroyed?

On Power and Character

How do you treat people who cannot retaliate? What does this reveal about your character?
Can you think of times when having power (even small amounts) revealed something about yourself you didn’t like?
The essay suggests that power differential is a “test” designed by God to develop character. Does this framing help you understand your own experiences of power and powerlessness?

On the Reversal

“The first shall be last” — do you believe this? How does believing (or not believing) this affect how you live?
The rich man in Luke 16 didn’t commit any specific crime; he just ignored Lazarus. Is ignoring the weak as culpable as exploiting them?
If character determines status in the Kingdom, what character traits are you developing through your current circumstances?

On Application

Where in your life do you have power over others who cannot easily resist (employees, children, service workers, etc.)? How are you using that power?
Where in your life are you on the weak side of a power differential? How are you responding?
How should this understanding affect our political analysis? Our economic behavior? Our family dynamics?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On the Thucydidean world:

“Justice only matters when both sides have the power to make it matter… In a world without transcendent moral authority, justice is simply what emerges when power is balanced.”

On the divine dissolution:

“God is simultaneously the strong man and the weak man. He experiences both sides of every interaction… When the strong man exploits the weak, he is exploiting God.”

On the test of power:

“The man who is just only toward equals has no character — he is merely calculating. The man who is just toward the weak, when he could exploit them without consequence, has genuine virtue.”

On animal impulses:

“The strong man who disregards justice is acting on animal impulses. He sees, he wants, he takes. This is not strength. It is weakness — the weakness of a soul that has not developed beyond appetite.”

On the reversal:

“The ‘first’ in this world have often achieved their position by violating justice toward those who could not resist. Their character is revealed by their actions. And character determines status in the Kingdom.”

On the Golden Rule:

“The Golden Rule does not say: ‘Treat others well if they can retaliate.’ It says: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ — regardless of power differential.”

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, You are present in both the strong and the weak. You experience both sides of every interaction. Nothing escapes Your notice; nothing falls outside Your care.

Forgive us for the times we have acted as Athenians — taking what we could because we could, ignoring the appeals of those who could not resist us. We have treated power as license rather than test. We have revealed our character, and it has not always been Christlike.

Help us to see You in the face of the weak. Help us to apply the Golden Rule regardless of power differential. Help us to constrain ourselves when we don’t have to — developing the character that prepares us for Your Kingdom.

And for those among us who are weak — who endure what they must because they have no power to resist — give them hope. Let them know that You see, You experience, You record. The accounting will be complete. The reversal will come.

Make us people who speak of justice not only between equals, but toward all — because all are sustained by You, and in harming any, we harm the One who holds all things together.

In Jesus’ name, who being in the form of God took the form of a servant, and being strong became weak for our salvation. Amen.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
— Micah 6:8

“Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
— Proverbs 31:9

Source Material: Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue (416 BC); John Howard quote and Thomas Abshier reflection; Copilot analysis of Thucydidean justice; Scripture; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions.

Related Christos Content: “The Mind That Sustains the Lattice” (CPP and God’s presence); “When God Gives Nations What They Deserve” (Romans 13); “The Regulated Enemy” (Ripperger interview — power and demonic psychology); Christos AI Theological Grammar.

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