Hi Yo Silver Away

But be at far from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

Galatians 6:14 ESV

Long before the Lone Ranger kicked up dust with his horse Silver, he trotted about the desert on a mare named Dusty. Not a very exciting name, but I’m sure she was a good horse. Our hero’s second stallion was a bit of an improvement. Silver was rescued by the Lone Ranger from an enraged buffalo, and as a result, became a lifelong friend and compadre of the sole survivor of a band of six Texan Rangers. I would like to “dust” off an old word and give it the “silver” it deserves. It is the word cancel.

The world we live in has decided to hijack this particular word and place an evil slant on its neutral properties. The masked lawman is intent on stealing it back. Let’s take a slow ride through the arid landscape which is commonly called the “cancel culture.” First of all, I’ve never seen any of these self-proclaimed demigods who claim to have the power to wave their golden woke-wand and proclaim someone or something irrelevant. And what is the edit of their divine dismissal powers? We are supposed to shrink with fear at the point of their prickly spear and go up in a puff of smoke. Well, slow down Tonto, the Long Ranger has something to say.

First of all, who gave any of you out there in progressive land the authority to cancel anyone. It seems to me you are way out of your league. You have left your lane and are crashing down a cliff into the abyss of insanity. Your job description is human, like the rest of us. Go ahead and mount the highest perch you can find and crow like an old banty rooster to your hearts content, but by supper time you’ll be nothing but fried chicken.

And now, let’s mount old Silver and discuss the word “cancel” in a more joyous light. Daniel Webster defines the word cancel to mean, “to destroy the force, effectiveness or validity of something.” Forty years ago, all of my sins were canceled by the blood of Jesus. When God placed me in Christ the works of the devil were canceled in my life, along with Satan’s power over me. The world has been canceled unto me and I to the world. I am no longer in bondage to the power of sin because its authority has been canceled by the cross of Jesus.

So, let the world go ahead and cancel me, I canceled it a long time ago. I am no longer a part of this world. I am in it but not of it. I am floating away in my life raft as the Titanic slowly descends into the depths of the icy Atlantic.

The Lone Ranger has a message for the cancel culture; stop claiming you have a power that you do not have, because true authority lies in the God of heaven and after He has canceled out this world, He will create a new one where those who follow Him will be with Him. Hi Yo Silver away!