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Forming a Christian response without embarrassing God |
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By Charles Wear |
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I was touched and blessed as I watched the Rev. Billy Graham preach at the National Prayer Service on the Friday after the world as we have known it ended. In the midst of addressing the mystery of evil, and the beauty of hope he began to do what he has done so many times and in so many places. He talked about the fragility of life. And then he preached the Cross, God's response to evil. He preached the resurrection, God's hope for eternity. At that moment, I was proud to be a Christian. I was proud to be represented in that interfaith service by a man who knows the simplicity and the complexity of the good news of God. Later in the day I read a report of statements made by Rev. Jerry Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, on the 700 Club program hosted by Rev. Pat Robertson. Falwell made the following statement: "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'" Pat Robertson seemed to agree with Falwell's earlier statements in a prayer during the program: "We have sinned against Almighty God, at the highest level of our government, we've stuck our finger in your eye," said Robertson. "The Supreme Court has insulted you over and over again, Lord. They've taken your Bible away from the schools. They've forbidden little children to pray. They've taken the knowledge of God as best they can, and organizations have come into court to take the knowledge of God out of the public square of America." When I read these reports, I was embarrassed to hear of these prominent Christian leaders, expounding religious hooha. They appear to be saying that America is a chosen or protected nation from which God has now lifted that protection because of sin. I wonder if these ideas can be found in Jesus' teachings, or for that matter in what happened to the apostles and early Christians as they spread Jesus' message. Jesus himself was crucified and all of the apostles, save one, were martyred. Thousands die for their faith each year. God has not offered special protection for the godly. Jesus taught us to pray to be delivered from evil and temptation. But he did not promise a life without trial and tragedy. He did promise that he would be with us in the midst of our tragedies. I also wonder about the elevation of certain "public" or "lifestyle" sins. Does God distinguish between these sins and the sins of arrogance, pride and self-righteousness? I read that "All have sinned [and I might add are sinning] and have fallen short of the glory of God." Thank God that our "right-living" is not a condition for salvation, or for that matter for God's protection. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. This is the nature of our fallen world. How we respond to the tragedies and triumphs marks the depth and strength of our faith. From what I have seen in the past days since September 11, Americans have a lot of depth and strength. There has been an outpouring of unity and brotherhood. Perhaps God can use this moment, when we have been brought face to face with our mortality, to turn us toward a better path, as people and as a nation. That would be wonderful. That would be a blessing. Let us pray for God to spiritually revive us.
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