Heal our Land: a call to repentance, sacrifice and action

The rise of President Obama may well be one of the most intriguing political stories of my lifetime. Not withstanding the unique nature of the 2008 political season having fallen by the wayside, his meteoric rise and unprecedented adulation were a story for me. Of course I had concerns wrought by the former Bush administration. I was a staunch supporter of GWB. I have significant concerns with the way that he governed, but in general I believe that he punished evil and condoned good. I think the Privacy Act has opened us up to all kinds of government control through setting precedents, so much so that the NSA (National Security Admin) now regularly monitors the emails of private citizens for content and information. George Bush signed into Law the first Stimulus which was a paltry $182 billion, and opened the door for a follow up proposal that totaled over $700 billion. Our big government is a bi-partisan effort.  Here even  the conservative may agree with the progressive Pogo who infamously said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

In his book the Audacity of Hope Barack Obama said, "The dangers of sectarianism are greater than ever, whatever we once were, we are no longer a christian nation, at least not 'just'; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation and a Buddhist nation and a Hindu nation and a nation of unbelievers..."

With oratory capabilities, unparalleled in my life time, I sat amazed as did so many others watching him as the key note at the 2004 democratic convention. Like Ronald Reagan before him, Obama does captivate an audience. Unlike, Ronald Reagan he does so with an academic, lucid and hip tone. A thoroughness, less folksy and more sophisticated presentation that resonates like Reagan, but in a different way. Seeing his victory speech in Iowa and the democratic debates one appreciates a gifted man. “We are the ones that we have been waiting for.”  Watching crowds inexplicably mesmerized by his words, in spite of seemingly shallow experience, turns a curiosity and an admiration on which is difficult to explain without causing disbelief among those who know me. The statement titled above by Obama though stunned me. To see a politician at the highest level in US politics boldly proclaim that we are no longer a "christian nation" struck me in a powerfully painful way. Everything within me wanted to decry such a statement...

But: can I argue?

It it is now true that we have a President who identifies with my faith in Jesus, yet promotes conceptually that we "...are not a christian nation...".

Our goal as Christians, then should be to change that?  Well maybe.  Maybe our goal should be to change ourselves.  Alexis DeToqueville was an author/sociologist in the 18th century who very eloquently expressed the opinion that American society would last only as long as America remained a moral people.  This morality that DeToqueville, a non-believer, saw is rampant in early American rhetoric.  John Adams said in his address to the Massachusetts Militia that “ We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion...Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  As Christians (perhaps living in denial about our current impotence) we like to trot this rhetoric to prove out the "christian nation" point. 

But the real question now must be, how long can we remain "moral", if our morality is guided by an ethos other than that of scripture? We now live, "christians" and non-christians alike, by a moral humanism. Real Christians know the Truth: with no foundation in God's word "...every man does that which is right in his own eyes..." Judges 17:6. Unfortunately, outside of an agreement with scripture we can't all be right. I dare say that in some regard the tendency of the church to abdicate its responsibility to "...act justly, and love mercy and to walk humbly before your God..." (Micah 6:8) may in fact create a defacto obligation for governmental intervention. Where there is less responsibility by the people, there is more government for the people. Where there is more government for the people, there is less freedom of the people. Humanism wants that responsibility. Will christians begin to take it back, or continue to loose freedom?

Fareed Zakaria, a national commentator/editor for Newsweek said in February 2010: "...in one sense, Washington is delivering to the American people exactly what they seem to want. In poll after poll, we find that the public is generally opposed to any new taxes, but we also discover that the public will immediately punish anyone who proposes spending cuts in any middle class program which are the ones where the money is in the federal budget. Now, there is only one way to square this circle short of magic, and that is to borrow money, and that is what we have done for decades now at the local, state and federal level...So, the next time you accuse Washington of being irresponsible, save some of that blame for yourself and your friends.”

We live in a country where there are 30 million people uninsured. Yet the remaining 270 million people receive the best health care in the history of mankind. Does the overwhelming majority who receive it in excellence justify the small portion who do not? Should those who receive healthcare now, receive inadequate, less efficient care so that those who do not will get something?  Governmetn helathcare is really just an extension of things that most of us take for granted. 

Do you complain when congress begins to tamper with social security? Do you groan when Medicare or Medicare Advantage are touched? How about unemployment compensation? Have you been educated or paid by a public school system? How many of us have a home loan that is underwritten by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mae?   (By the way, if you're loan has ever been “sold” chances are 90% it is held by one of these two entities.)  All of these are area's where the government confiscates property  from one individual and gives it to another. All of these are area's where a form of injustice or inequality brought the arm of government into the equation. And the Church, for the most part, has stood back and said, “Yeah, that's good.” In what ways has the church “acted justly” and “loved mercy” and “walked humbly” in providing for the less fortunate who were in need of these services?
So, what am I saying?  What I would like to propose is a question. If we as Christians  were doing our duty, (that is our Christian duty not civic duty) would any of these needs be unmet?  Much less by government intervention? Would the government have been given the opportunity to step in? Would it not be best if the government concerned itself with issues of punishing evil and condoning (not mandating) what is good to a body politic that is moral - and left these things to a “christian people”? I think so.

“The only foundation for...a republic is to be laid in Religion.” Benjamin Rush

“Statesmen may plan and speculate for Liberty...but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.” John Adams

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports...”  George Washington

Sturdy statements all.  Yet they are the same founding fathers that allowed for slavery to remain an important part of our industrial mechanisms and commerce for almost 100 years. A system where one ethnic group, who was no less “endowed by his creator with certain unalienable rights” was subjugated to other men. “Act Justly”? “Love Mercy?” “Walk humbly”?

So, I have to think that even as we sit here today that there are things in our civic lives for which we should be repentant. Maybe what we need is a second American Revolution where we pledge our “lives our fortune and our sacred honor” for justice.

Too often "conservatives" rail against Gays, Evolution, Pro-Choice'ers, Academicians, Science, Government, the media - you name it - but I wonder if that is where our focus should be? The Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians chapter 5 “...What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside....” What do we expect from them? Should we not look at ourselves?

So what of repentance? Paul tells us that godly sorrow brings repentance. See 2 Corinthians 7:9-11: ...yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” Do we need a revolution of repentance? Will it require godly sorrow? Have we seen “godly” sorrow?  And if we have, what has it produced?

I thought immediately following the 9/11 attacks in 2001 that this might lead to the spiritual revival that we needed.  The people enmasse were heading back to their houses of worship.  Franklin Graham predicted that Americans were committing themselves to God in an “enduring” way.  Pat Robertson predicted one of the “greatest spiritual revivals in the history of America”.   And for a few months it looked as though they were right.  Then the hype was over,the flood to God subsided and in 2003 George Barna produced a study that indicated that 90% of Americans reported that 9/11 had “no lasting impact” on their faith. What's more the Barna Group reported that people who held that “moral truth is absolute” actually dropped from 38% 2000 to 22% in the fall of 2001.  Indeed according to a study one by the University of Chicago while the church pews were emptying out, the psychologists offices were filling up.  Pill use and drinking increased statistically. But 9/11 apparently wasn't without some “good”.   Another study at the University of Chicago indicated that Americans after 9/11 were more likely to consider their fellow citizens fair, helpful and trustworthy--an optimism that has persisted.   "Rather than thinking about the acts of the terrorists," the study concluded, "people reflected upon the acts of those involved in the rescue and relief efforts in New York, acts of charity, and acts of patriotism both within the country and abroad."   Nationally, volunteerism increased 4.1%, they reported.  So, in our time of sorrow, which in a biblical community should lead to repentance Americans were largely turning to each other.  In other words, there was a spiritual impact, driven by the inspirational behavior of ordinary Americans, NOT by our inherent need for God. One Christian social commentator said, “In effect, the book of the moment was not the bible but "Chicken Soup for the Soul".

But perhaps, I am looking in the wrong place. 76% of American's call themselves Christians. That means 228 million of us are “Christians". And my outlook was to the repentance of them. After all, I'm certainly not so sinful as they, yes? I mean I'm solidly middles class, no more greedy than the next guy...and always give God the glory for my blessings.  I don't drink, smoke or chew.  I don't even have cable. But here I go again, comparing and contrasting. What is it in my life that I need to repent of?  I'm a pretty good guy, right?

Well, the Israelites were pretty good people too, at least when they built the temple. 2 Chronicles chapter 6 and 7 was the pinnacle of the Israelites positive and offertory relationship with God. Solomon had become king. He asks for wisdom and almost immediately (chapter 3) he begins building the temple that God had promised David, Solomon would build. They get this thing built and Solomon still brimming with God's wisdom and free of worldly distraction begins his prayer to God.  This goes on in praise and worship for the remainder of chapter 6 with Solomon praising God, warning him of the frailty of their devotion, asking God to come and dwell with them and offering a sacrifice and celebration in expectation of his acceptance. God graciously accepts Solomon's invitation in chapter 7 with one sentence: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices."  Then God immediately transitions to the antidote for the tendency of man to walk away from him in 7:11-15.

It is not insignificant, in my mind, at least, that God after what was days of celebration and consecration for a people that had the best of intentions and perhaps, the best relationship with him of any people group to date – that his foremost purpose in communication following that act of worship was to offer guidance for the time and the place where those who were unanimous in glorifying him – would turn away.

We are God's temple now. We are the light of the world. I don't know in your own life where you are in need of repentance. What I do know is that the country in which we live is no longer a Christian nation. We are living on borrowed time. We are living on the good intentions of our founders but day by day, our popular culture is denying, decrying and destroying even the notion that our founding fathers believed in the God of the Universe. Amidst this extinguishing culture, the light of the world is not effectively shining back. What I know is that darkness cannot fight off the light – it simply disappears. Whether our sin is in our luke warm approach to scripture, our silence, our distraction by leisure or pleasure or busyness. I don't know. But God grants repentance and we know that if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.