From the Manger to the Danger—and the Call to Be a Ranger for Christ

We are days away from Christmas, a season that draws our attention back to the Manger. The Manger is not merely a historical setting; it is a profound symbol. It represents the Messiah, the Mother, the Mercy of God, and the Miracle of a holy God who chose to step directly into human brokenness. God did not wait for humanity to clean itself up. He entered the mess, humbly, quietly, decisively.

Yet when we look at the world today, it is hard to deny that we are living in what can rightly be called a Danger world.

The letter “D” captures the spirit of our age with unsettling accuracy: Distress, Darkness, Disorder, Division, Disconnect, Dominance, Distrust, Deception last but definitely not least Devil and Demon dominate public life. In a more concrete sense, many people of faith perceive this “D” embodied in the modern political and cultural shift toward the Democrat platform—a movement that, in their view, has increasingly displaced biblical truth with secular ideology. The holy is often sidelined, the sacred redefined, and moral absolutes replaced with shifting narratives.

For those who hold the sanctity of the Manger dear, this shift feels like a move away from the foundations that once anchored our culture. What was meant to be a place of refuge has become, for many, a landscape of moral and social danger. The distance between the humility of the Manger and the chaos of the Danger world seems vast—but in truth, it is only one letter away: from M to D.

And yet, there is another letter.

From M to D to R.

My Redeemer. The “R” stands for Ranger—a watchman, a defender, one who stands alert at the frontier. To be a Ranger for Christ is not about aggression or political dominance. It is about courage, clarity, and conviction. Rangers protect what is valuable. They guard the sacred. They stand when others retreat.

In this season, the call is not merely to remember the Manger, nor to lament the Danger, but to respond. Christ did not enter the world to observe it from a distance. He entered to redeem it. Those who follow Him are called to do the same—to stand firm in truth, to speak light into darkness, and to live with moral resolve in a confused age.

The journey from the Manger to the Danger world, and into the role of a Ranger for Christ, is just a letter—but it is a decisive one. Christmas reminds us that history can change in humility, that light can enter darkness, and that faith still calls for action.

From M to D to R—the choice before us is simple, but the responsibility is not. 

Merry Christmas to you and your family. May Christ, our Lord and Savior—the true reason for this season—reign over your heart, your home, and your family, now and forever.