It is rare to be presented with a genuine opportunity to do something
about the question, “Who am I, why am I here?”
For many of us the answer to the latter is to serve a higher purpose. So then the question becomes, “Whom are we to
serve; ourselves, our family, our country, fellow Christians, mankind as a whole?” From this list, who do we put first? Those with the greatest need, right?
In our great nation there has been a call to arms. “We need to stop getting ripped off.” “We have to protect ourselves from evil people
that want to kill us.” “Our country is going
to hell and we can’t even say Merry Christmas any more.” We American Christians have been victimized and
it’s time to fight back, to get our due, to serve up some righteous justice! We need to protect ourselves from others!
But how do we reconcile putting others first while giving them
the slap down they deserve?
We don’t. Our complacency
in allowing this country to primarily fear others rather than putting them first
has created a national cowardice. When I
walk down the street carrying a sign, “REFUGEES seeking freedom, WELCOME” I’m far
more likely to be heckled by the masses than
to be assisted, for pointing out that our blessings are meant to be shared.
No… I am not suggesting that we blissfully put our heads in the
nearest guillotine for some lunatic to chop off… who then will be stealing our job
from our lifeless body? We can do BOTH. By allowing our faith to overcome our fear, we
can be there for others AND retain our heads.
Arguably, we American Christians are the most influential group
of the greatest nation. We are called to
be bold. We are called to be a beacon of
light for all.
Instead we seem to be acting like scared victims, rather than
the most blessed people that the world has ever known. We justify… we rationalize… we drop a few bills
in the Salvation Army bucket. When there
is a life that could be saved, we will gladly pass on by because we are convinced
someone else should be the Good Samaritan.
We have traded in who we are supposed to BE, for more. More winning, more pride, more sense of safety. More of everything. More on top of more … as if in America that’s
what has been missing.
We have embraced a hoggishly pompous leader, one that works tirelessly
to cloak our humanity with his vulgar selfishness. I wish to proclaim that our Emperor has no clothes. I may be childlike in my thinking, but continuing
to ignore this contradiction is how we got it so sickeningly wrong.
I know… God can do amazing things even with the most wicked Emperor. So let’s promote self serving wickedness so he
can redeem it later?
Really? Are we really so arrogant
as to decide for God who he should use and how.
Or is it more likely this justification has helped us swallow the restless
feeling of passing on the other side of the street instead.
Who are we right now?
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