space; either one hears the message proclaimed by the Lord, or one is deaf to the things of God. John writes so that his readers will hear and see what is at stake, so that they will be wise instead of foolish, devoted to God instead of to the dragon. The message for us today is that we should not put our trust in political power to bring in the kingdom. This doesn’t mean, of course, that Christians should forsake the political sphere, for we are called on to engage the culture and to do good in