Ferguson Burning

I am saddened today by what I see happening in my beloved hometown of St. Louis. Though I am not surprised, it breaks my heart to see the rioting and the bloodshed there.

As I write this I am 350 miles away in Little Rock, and things are relatively quiet here at the present. I had hoped to stay out of this thing. I heard of the verdict of the Grand Jury last night before going to bed. Nothing had happened at that time. This morning however, I had tuned in to see what had transpired overnight. As I said, I was saddened, sickened and brokenhearted, but certainly not surprised at what I saw.

Just before I saw the reports and while I was still hopeful for peace and calm to prevail, I had read for my scheduled morning Bible reading the famously appropriate passage of Romans 13 in which the Apostle Paul, who had himself been a recipient of governmental injustice, teaches of the necessity of obeying the “powers that be”. I remain reluctant to write this, but I guess “the lion has roared” (Amos 3:8).

The passage in the book of Romans to which I refer is chapter 13:1-7. Paul makes it clear in this passage that, his difficulties with governmental authorities notwithstanding (see Acts 16 for example), a Christian believer is expected to obey the civil authorities. This passage in particular spoke to me (and remember, this was before I heard about the rioting):

                “therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.” (Romans 13:5, ESV)

It is abundantly clear to me at this point that the reaction to the Grand Jury’s action is not, at least not any longer, a reaction to the specific event that the Grand Jury was ruling upon, and I am going to avoid trying to comment on the event itself .The fact of nationwide protests over a localized event of which few of the protesters have a clear factual knowledge, and which were reported on sensationally rather than factually by the mainstream media, due in part to the fact that the testimony and the proceedings were, of necessity kept secret, indicates to me, and should to any other careful observer that the resulting unrest was symptomatic of deeper issues. Two such issues come readily to Mind: first, that people of different races mistrust each other. Second, that most people in our nation generally mistrust their government.

 Another time in the history of St. Louis comes to mind as I think about these things. The time just before the civil war was also a time of upheaval and unrest at which time two members of my family also lost their lives as a part of the unrest of that time. One of these; I call it the “whorehouse riot”, was an event in which several men set fire to a “red light district”  on the riverfront, and my great grandfather’s sister’s husband, a St. Louis policeman died of a heart attack suffered from overexertion as he and other policemen tried to restore order to this situation. Another event, called the Camp Jackson riot, occurred just within a week of the battle of Ft. Sumpter, the first battle of the civil war. My same great grandfather’s brother, apparently a bystander at this event, was stabbed with a bayonet by a soldier, apparently due to his failure to move on when requested to do so. He died of infection about twenty-four hours later. According to letters we have that were written between family members, neither of these events were related to the civil war, so much as they were a by-product of the high unemployment and general unrest prevalent in those times.

The point I am trying to make with this is that we too live in times of great unrest. Events such as the original event in Ferguson, regardless of whether right or wrong, or even a mixture of both, serve as flashpoints that ignite the riots such as we have seen today.

In spite the efforts of the mainstream media to portray the burners and looters and the lawless of St. Louis County as just ordinary people who have lost faith in “the system”, I am persuaded that the LEADERS of the rioting are lawless thugs, pure and simple. SOME of their followers, are merely those that these thugs have duped into joining them in order to work off their frustrations. I also think that some of the rioters are those who are truly frustrated over these events and are acting out. This is understandable, but it is unacceptable. Lashing out against people who were totally uninvolved in what happened, and destroying cars, and the businesses through which those ordinary, uninvolved people make their livelihood is inappropriate, and is itself an injustice.

To paraphrase a line from a movie, the title of which I have long since forgotten; the American legal system does not guarantee us justice, but only the opportunity for justice. Rioting in the streets does nothing to bring justice for anyone.

The final verse of Romans 13 says:

“Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”  (V.14, NLT)

Rioting, revenge, hatred and name-calling are ways in which we indulge our evil desires.  As Christians, our Lord calls us to a higher level of operating.

 I pray for all my brothers and sisters in Greater St. Louis, as they deal with the difficult days ahead. I pray that they will clothe themselves with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am praying that they will take control of this situation in His name, and they will work peaceably, lawfully and within His will and at His leadership for peace, truth and justice.

Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.

The Election and the Direction

 When I was in the process of publishing my last post, the election was in progress.  I was hoping for some change. I did not expect the spectacular results that became clear to us all “by the dawn’s early light.” I imagine that most of my Republican friends were dancing in the aisles that next day.  I find myself, admittedly a political conservative, to be pleased as well, yet much less jubilant.

The problem is; we’ve had a political change by election. What we need is a change of spiritual direction.

As I pointed out in an earlier post, I view myself as an optimist. I have pointed out as well that Christians have the best of all reasons to be optimistic. Yet I find myself skeptical about the future. A politically “conservative” government is just that, and while I welcome the idea that government will be, hopefully, less oppressive than it has grown to be in the last six years, I am less hopeful about the future for the following reasons:

·         We still have a moral crisis in our country. We are still guided by the same introspective, self-centered moral perspective that has led us to the moral dilemma in which we currently find ourselves.

·         We are still 17 trillion dollars in debt, and inching closer to 18 trillion every day, rather than moving further away. I have a friend who thinks that now that we will have a more fiscally responsible government that we will be in the black by the time the next election rolls around. This is simply not numerically possible.  I read yet another popular author recently who said that it is simply too late to reverse the inevitable results of our reckless fiscal policies of the last several years.

·         We still have the threat of an Ebola epidemic waiting just beyond our shores.

·         Islamic militants still threaten our security in the Middle East and beyond.

I doubt that these things are going to disappear with the new congress.  I also sense that the electorate is becoming increasingly impatient with their governmental officials as they are seeking and failing to find governmental solutions for a better life.

I do see two things that the results of this election do demonstrate to us:

First, it is a message from the people that they are disappointed in a congress that has courted their votes in the past with promises of a better country and a better life, but has then gone to Washington and has produced the opposite result that they said they would.

Second, I believe that the electorate is becoming increasingly as frightened as I am about a dictatorial (albeit well-meaning) President who is willing to bypass Congress, the people, and even the Constitution itself to achieve his political and philosophical ends.

While I do not necessarily see this election as an answer to prayer, I see the hand of God in this and all events in human history.  

I have to confess that I don’t know much in particular about many of the newly elected legislators in regard to their faith. One exception to this is congresswoman-elect Joni Ernst of Iowa. My friends, Dr. Bill and Ali Artherholt (CRM Chaplain at Alamo Rec-Veh Resort) lived in the same home town as Rep. Ernst, and are well acquainted with her and her family. Bill and Ali have reported to me that she is a committed Christian believer. I believe that the influence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individual legislators is the only hope for our nation’s future.

I was moved this morning as I read two passages from Jeremiah that I believe speak to our nation’s situation:

And you have brought this upon yourselves by rebelling against the Lord your God, even though he was leading you on the way!             Jeremiah 2: 17 (NLT)

And then, in the story about Jeremiah’s visit to the Potter:

 Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.       Jeremiah 18: 5-10 (NLT)

The only hope for our nation is that we change our direction and move toward, and walk with our Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.

Jonah, and Other Prophets

For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (James 5:10 NLT)

I have always found it remarkable that during the years of Israel’s spiritual and moral decline before they went to the Babylonian Captivity, there were a host of prophets through whom God spoke in His attempt to turn them around, and return them to His straight path. Even more remarkable is the fact that even though in later years these prophets would be venerated, and memorialized in written scripture, many would, in their own day, be ignored or unrecognized as the people and their leaders went their own way.

Certainly, in like manner, there are many voices today that are telling us to turn back from the path of destruction that we seem to be following. Just like Israel, we are ignoring them. We are failing to recognize that they are giving us a message from our God; calling us to turn around and to refocus on Him and His leadership. We are ignoring the voices through which He is calling for our attention, and going about our own way, in our old familiar comfort zones. After all, we reason, “If we were not favored by God for our righteousness, why would we have so many blessings” (meaning material wealth)! And “if we are just doing what we have always done, why would we not get what we have always got?”

I talked about some of the present day voices in a previous post (Other Voices, published 10/5/13). There are many more besides those that I mentioned in that post. Many are heeding their voices and doing what pleases God in these uncertain days. Sadly, I am seeing more and more people, including believers, who ought to know better, who are ignoring them, and writing them off as kooks, and going about their business. Israel must have done just about that same thing.

There is one prophet in particular that I have been thinking about as of late: Jonah. God sent Jonah to the Ninevites (Gentiles). Jonah ran the other way. After his disobedience turned to disaster, he accepted God’s plan, and went to Nineveh and delivered his appointed message.  As odd as it seemed to Jonah, they repented! According to scripture, they took God’s message to heart:

When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.   Jonah 3: 6-10 NLT

And what was Jonah’s response this?

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” Jonah 4: 1-3 NLT

We always puzzle a little bit at this response from Jonah. Wouldn’t he be pleased if his word was heeded, and the response positive? Reflecting on this, I have realized two reasons that Jonah was upset with this response:

First, there was the matter that, because of their repentance, Jonah’s prophecy did not come true. Remember the line we quoted from Moses a while back?

“But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’  If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22 NLT)

The fact that Jonah’s prophecy did not come about was a matter of pride to him. It made him look like a false prophet, or at least, on this occasion, the bearer of a false prophecy. Moreover, it made him feel like a fool! God’s goal is the moral, and spiritual repentance of our society, and He stands ready to forgive and restore. However, if they do turn around, Jonathan Cahn, David Wilkerson, and many others, including myself are going to look like Chicken Little, who went around decrying that “the sky is falling”

Second, Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites in the first place. He wanted to see them perish and fall into ruin! They were the enemy. He would have felt better about their fall than their salvation. In the view of my “natural man” I find myself thinking this same thing. God, however, in His love and compassion, would rather see nothing else than for our world to turn to Him and be saved, both on the societal level and on the personal level. If we could see the world through His eyes, our hearts would break with compassion just as His does.

Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.