Nothing Woke Under the Sun

Ryan Cox • April 20, 2022

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9

Woke: “aware of and actively attentive” – Merriam-Webster.com

Woke: “having or marked by an active awareness” – Dictionary.com

Many in the culture feel that they’ve been awakened (i.e., “woke”) to an awareness of new truths that will change the world. Unfortunately for their feelings of great revelation, nothing of their newfound insights is anything new under the sun.

For instance, the term “woke” is nothing new. It can be traced back to a 1938 song by folk singer Huddie Ledbetter. It was then somewhat popularized by a 1962 New York Times Magazine article “If You’re Woke You Dig It” by novelist William Kelley. Around the turn of the century, the term applied to being aware of potential infidelity, and now exists in the vernacular with its current connotations.

The current push of woke culture in identity politics and social justice is also nothing new. When the ten northern tribes separated themselves from Judah and Benjamin, their first king, Jeroboam, quickly realized they needed a new identity or else the people would return to follow the house of David (I Kings 12:26-27). His brilliant idea was to make “two golden calves; and he said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt’” (I Kings 12:28). Even this was nothing new as it was exactly what their ancestors did in their rebellion at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32)!

Another example of woke culture can be found during the French Revolution. Construction of Notre-Dame cathedral began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. The cathedral stood as a prominent symbol of the Catholic faith for over 400 years until the revolution. In the late 1700s, revolutionaries had spread violence throughout the land, leading to a breakdown of law and order with attacks on aristocratic properties. As a new National Assembly, King Louis XVI, and Marquis de Lafayette worked on a new constitution, the economy worsened with food shortages and more violence. The government finally approved an end to feudalism, extended voting rights, and imposed state control of the Catholic churches. 24% of the clergy pledged their allegiance to the government; the rest stood in opposition to the government takeover.

In Nov. 1791, the Assembly gave the remaining clergy 8 days to comply or face conspiracy charges. King Louis vetoed the decree. In April 1792 as French armies were attacking Austrian and Prussian forces, the Assembly again threatened the clergy to swear an oath or be deported. King Louis again vetoed their decree. In August, the Assembly voted to “temporarily relieve the king”. The French First Republic replaced the monarchy in September, and King Louis was placed on trial. On Jan. 17, 1793, the Assembly condemned Louis to death for “conspiracy against public liberty and general safety”, and executed him on Jan. 21. The Committee of Public Safety became the reigning power, which led to the “Reign of Terror”, seeking the elimination of counterrevolutionaries, resulting in over 16,600 executions by July 1794. Again, all of this was done for “public safety”.

In the midst of this, Notre-Dame was seized and rededicated to the Cult of Reason in 1793, France’s first state-sponsored religion of atheism. They beheaded 28 statues of Biblical kings in the cathedral, tore down all the other statues, and the Goddess of Liberty was erected and enshrined. Eventually, a compromise was attempted with a new state religion of deism called the Cult of the Supreme Being.

When Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, he banned both cults and restored Notre-Dame to the Catholic Church in 1801-2, though the building itself remained and still is property of the state. The cathedral was in such great disrepair after the Napoleonic Wars that Victor Hugo wrote and published The Hunchback of Notre-Dame in 1831, generating great support for its restoration, which was so ordered by King Louis Philippe in 1844.

Fast-forward to today, and there’s nothing new under the sun. After the tearing down of statues and in the midst of ever-increasing violence, food prices, shortages, etc., a Nov. 26, 2021 article in London’s The Telegraph entitled “Notre-Dame interior faces woke ‘Disney’ revamp” claimed the addition of several “woke” and “politically correct Disneyland”-type displays in the current renovations and restorations from the 2019 fire.¹ The question today will be how many of the clergy this time will stand up against the forces seeking to eliminate the vestiges of Christianity.

While CTF does not condone Catholic church polity nor hold to several of Catholicism’s tenets (especially its acceptance of evolution),² we do want to sound the alarm for Christians throughout the world, including America. Cultures, governments, etc. can quickly turn on us. For a frightening example, consider the treatment of minister Artur Pawlowski in Canada.³

Therefore, have you resolved in your heart, in your family, in your church to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6)?

1. Henry Samuel, “Exclusive: Notre-Dame interior faces woke ‘Disney’ revamp”, The Telegraph, 26 November 2021, <https://www.telegraph.co.u/worldnews/2021/11/26/notre-dame-

risks-becoming-woke-disneyland-controversial-renovation/>, accessed 14 April 2022.

2. Consult: <https://www.catholicbridge.com/catholic/catholic-creationism.php> or <https://catholicexchange.com/brief-exploration-catholic-position-evolution/>

3. DailyMail.com, “Pastor jailed for speaking to Canadian Freedom Convoy says he was kept in cage, made to sleep on a concrete floor, deprived of his Bible and repeatedly strip-

searched”, 10 April 2022, <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10704959/Pastor-jailed-speaking-Canadian-Freedom- Convoy-says-sleep-concrete-floor.html>.

DailyWire.com, “Canadian Pastor Who Faces 4-Year Jail Sentence For ‘Inciting’ Church Warns Americans: ‘The Enemy Is Not Hiding Anymore’”, 23 August 2021,

<https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadian-pastor-who-faces-4-year-jail-sentence-for-inciting-church-warns-americans-the-enemy-is-not-hiding-anymore>, accessed 14 April

2022.

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March 2026 Printed Newsletter

March 19, 2026

Signing the Mayflower Compact by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1899

A Miraculous Storm-part 2

By Ryan Cox • March 19, 2026

EACH OF THESE ARTICLES ARE EXCERPTS FROM AMERICA’S EPIC ADVENTURE TM - CTF'S NEWEST VBS CURRICULUM From Lesson 1: The Pilgrims, Walking by Faith in the Lord – Proverbs 3:5-6

Looking Back

By Matt Miles • March 19, 2026

There are moments in life that we experience the Lord’s Providence, which is the continual guiding and caring of us for His purposes. We may go though trials and suffering now to refine our faith in preparation for eternity. Other times we may see it for the here and now, with the aligning of plans for His purpose in our life, maybe with the opening or closing of a door. Many times we see Providence only in hindsight, looking back on life and seeing His hand working, molding and inspiring us for His plans and to His glory. I can see the Lord’s Providence at many times over the course of my life. Early in my grade school years I developed a love for building models I was recently reminded, along with my father, that we built a train set together in our basement. Following that, I began to build model cars and airplanes. I now know that love of building, tinkering and problem solving was Providence preparing me for this ministry. The Lord taught me early on how to stay focused and pay attention to detail. What I thought was only a hobby at the time is now something I must use on a regular basis in things such as fossil restoration, building crates, trailer and vehicle maintenance for our mobile museum. Later in high school, while active in church, the Lord called me to serve our children’s church ministry. I began to help teach others about Jesus. It seemed insignificant at the time. I remember helping in lesson times and the puppet ministry. I even was cast as “Pastor Rufus” in one of our ongoing puppet skits. My opportunities to share Christ and be an example to those younger than I was tremendous. Again through His Providence, the Lord was guiding me and calling me to ministry. He developed in me the love of teaching His Word to others, priceless to me today. Then in college Providence brought Theresa and I together. The Lord knew exactly who I needed to be my bride for life. She is strong in my weakness and more Christ-like than anyone I know. She is the perfect helpmate and partner for me in ministry as well, which has so far been 34 years, to be exact. Many times the Lord has used her discernment to direct me through a situation that I did not see correctly. I am thankful every day for Providence that brought us together in life and eternal work. As I look back on my life, there are more Providential moments than I have space to write. Most of those times have directly guided me to this specific ministry and my call to preach and teach His Word. Looking back on life and identifying those moments of Providence from the Lord is humbling and awe-inspiring. Please take a moment to remember your own moments when Providence has been evident in your life. This ministry is about identifying Providence from the beginning. His plan from the start is us spending eternity in His presence. Our sin messed some things up, but not His plan. He always has and always will know exactly how to guide and care for us so that we bring Him the glory, now and eternally. There is not a month that goes by that we here at CTF don’t praise the Lord for His Providence through you, our supporters and sustainers. Join with me in thanks for His Providence each day, guiding as only our Creator and Savior could do. Psalms 31:3-5 Blessings.