A Call to Repentance for the American Church

Many of us are wondering how we got here. We are watching as our rights are eroded and our country careens toward communism. Traditional values (the sanctity of life, the blessedness of intact families) have all but disappeared.  There are many calls going out exhorting the church to be unified. But what are we unifying around?

How did it all get so bad?

There are many answers to that question. The lack of local political involvement, our naive trust in our politicians to right the moral wrongs, and our unwillingness to perform due diligence before voting are a few of the reasons. But they are not the main reason.

The problem in this country is a spiritual one. (Now, don't tune me out just yet.) The American church has turned a blind eye to sin for decades. Instead of speaking out against legalized child murder and the destruction of the traditional family structure, we accepted these sins and injurious policies in the name of political correctness. We feared man more than God. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20 NASB

Morality cannot be relegated to the political arena. Politicians do not decide what is right and what is wrong. In fact, the word political does not appear in the Bible. These issues are called good and evil, sin and righteousness. All we really have to do is take God at His word.

We do need to unite. We need to unite in repentance. We need to stop tolerating evil lies that lead people, human beings with souls, down deadly paths to eternal destruction. We need to be bold, to speak the truth, even if it hurts others' feelings. Which is preferable, a doctor who speaks the truth and recommends a painful treatment, or a doctor who tells you comfortable fibs and lets you die? If we value truth in medical matters, why don't we value it even more in the spiritual? Love is not telling falsehoods, or standing by quietly while others do. Jesus didn't do that. Neither should we.

We need to repent. 

We need to repent. 

We need to repent.

"Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

What Next?

I participated in a church-led protest last Monday. It was very well attended, and peaceful. The protesters walked about a mile and a half (some of us followed in cars), and others lined the route with signs and clapped. The police did NOT wear riot gear; they blocked off the streets for us, and walked along side.

At the end of the protest, we assembled in a park for a short rally, and ended with a lovely rendition of  We Shall Overcome. It was a beautiful, powerful time.

I support continued, peaceful protests. Society must know this is a serious issue. People are forgetful, and busy. They need to be reminded, and often. But after the protests die down, as people get back to work, what should we do next?

One thing we can all do is use our voice. Whatever way God has gifted you, raise your voice against racism, especially systemic racism. Within your own personal circle, speak up when a friend makes a nasty comment, disagree (politely) with that supervisor, let that family member know you don't hold the same opinion. The other person may not change their values, but they may think twice before voicing a derogatory comment to others again. And the less others hear racist comments, the less likely they are to appropriate or reinforce the attitudes behind them.

Another thing we as a society must do is demand police accountability. The systemic problem in police forces is that there are very few consequences for despicable actions, and fellow officers are discouraged from interfering with or reporting a fellow officer. This is the opposite of what should be. The system should cause a fear of discipline in rogue police officers, and their partners should be commended for reining them in. We have to advocate for that change.

For years, well-meaning people (including me) held the attitude that being anti-racist in our own personal lives, doing our best to treat all with equal respect, and teaching our children to do the same, was enough to change the world. While that is all well and good, that is not enough. We must demand more of ourselves, our neighbors, our governments, and our churches. And we must not stop until change is here. 

A Time For Action

The election is over. We prayed, fasted, and prevailed. God heard our prayers and the country is turning in a new direction, albeit not without a fight. So now we can dust ourselves off and leave the decisions in the hands of our governmental leaders, right? Wrong.

This is spiritual warfare.

The most dangerous thing we could do is rest on our laurels. The enemy is not going down easily. It's time for action. We need to continue to pray for our leaders and their families, on a daily basis. We need to stand up for our values regardless of the shaming and verbal abuse of the liberal left. They need to know that they are not a majority.

We need to pray for our brothers and sisters who have fallen for the lies. We need to love our enemies. They may or may not see the light. But Jesus still calls us to love them.

We are at the very beginning of a great struggle for our nation. Do we want to continue down the path of liberalism, with its do-whatever-you-want socialist agenda, or do we want to return to a common sense, work for what you want, human beings matter values? Will we survive as a nation if we don't?