Open Our Eyes
So, how are you doing? Really doing? How are you handling Japan, Tuscaloosa, Joplin, politics, economy, war, and the spiritual absurdity of a few folks selling everything looking for Jesus to return on a given date?
Don’t leave out the ridiculousness of a popular star that is too vulgar to be described in this letter. Starbucks links with her lewdness to sell coffee. A phone company banks on vulgarity to get customers. American Idol TV series features “woman” (far from lady) Gaga and renowned gospel singer Kirk Franklin on the same show. Six of one. Half dozen of the other. The audience stands up and screams for the show. Devil on one side. God on the other. It’s showtime. Who cares…so long as we are having a good time?
We wonder why our world is rocking. We puzzle over the shaking. Are we willing to be honest? Shall we open our eyes to see as God sees?
As a nation we have numbed our conscience and accepted the abortion mill as a legal process. Politicians trade babies for votes, cavalier and without reference to God. While a strong voice is raised in objection, those in power manipulate the law to give women power over their own bodies to murder infants. Alcohol drowns the pain in America. Drink. Drink. Drink. “Be a responsible drinker,” gives license to drink. We smack a few hands. Jail a few people…and wonder why our children are confused.
A small minority and billionaire George Soros talk loudly. Deviant sex is made to look more fun than “straight” sex. Equality is the argument, yet only women can have babies. Something unnatural is knocking at our door. We answer and smile because we have neighbors, acquaintances, co-workers, and perhaps family members who are living “alternative” lifestyles. We dare not call it “sin.” We hear about the tragic drug wars in Mexico and are shocked by the violence and murders. We ignore the fact that the drug wars in Mexico are fought to determine who will get the market of illegal drugs in the United States. We aid-and-abet. We claim to be the victim, but are partners in crime.
We question the mega natural disasters. We ask ourselves if these things are normal. We know better. They are not normal. We live in a house of hallucinations. We pretend that the federal government has enough money to restore and rebuild every disaster area. Paradise will continue. Our party will not be interrupted.
We dare not ask if Louisiana and Mississippi have recovered from Katrina. We know better. We pretend the BP oil crisis is over. We know better. We have forgotten Japan. We put Tuscaloosa behind to care for Joplin. Who knows about the lesser towns that suffered devastating losses? We must move ahead with summer vacation and the good life. And, of course, we hope Sunday will be clear and sunny for our leisure.
Church? It would be nice if God would re-write the Book. The stuff about God resting on the 7th day and making it holy is messing up our ballgames. What kind of God expects us to put our children’s sports second to gathering with other believers for worship? God wrote the Book before modern times. He will understand that we do not have time to do things the way Jesus did. A good God would want us to be happy. And happy is what we think is best for us. Right?
And Oprah signs off with a tribute to God. She favors homosexuality, promotes abortion, mixes religion in some strange way that does not fit the Bible, makes an oblique reference to God and gets passed into sainthood. What is wrong with this picture?
Here is my dilemma: If folks are so all-fired fulfilled in their lust of pleasure, why are they so unhappy? I am of the notion that God was right when He said the wicked will have no peace [Isaiah 28:41,42]? Jesus made clear that the only hope for fulfillment is when we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him [Mt. 16:24].
David struggled along with us. The world around him was partying and prospering. He thought about giving up. When he went to worship in the Lord’s house he understood the end of things (Psalm 73). I think until we bring back worship in a biblical sense we have little hope for our eyes to be opened to see as God sees. Social research now indicates only about 20% of Americans attend church regularly. Maybe the handwriting is on the wall. Maybe.
Let us pray for our eyes to be opened to see as God sees [John 12:40; Acts 9:1-9] and act/react as He would have us do.
Pastor Bare