A nation divided against its self cannot stand. A house at war with itself, will tear itself apart. One of the saddest things to see in your generation is those you hold dear not standing as one. Brothers should be family not enemies. Where there is much sin, much love must be abundant to cover it. I’ve been listening to Mike Macintosh, a pastor from southern California who is a good man of God, humble in spirit. A man with purpose, a love for the word and a deep respect for law enforcement as a chaplain he has been a light to the police, serving in the aftermath of 9 11 2001. I always had much respect for him growing up. His passion for the truth of the word and eagerness to serve wherever he was sent. Another man of God from a completely different point of view, who opened my eyes to racism in America and the oppression of really anyone who is different than the status quo, Glenn Kaiser. Very humble man. Greatly gifted a writhing passionate music that glorifies Jesus Christ. He has been well spoken about racism in our country and as far as I am concerned a light in the darkness whether in music, on the front lines with the less fortunate and in visiting those in prison.
I tell you neither of these two men are wrong. Both of these two men have glorified the name of Jesus. Both men being a light in the darkness. Light is a full color spectrum. If you put it through a prism it shows all the colors of the light which shines. Truth is such as light. When you shine the truth of the bible through men who follow Jesus not in name only but in faith, all those truths come forth like a rainbow. A better analogy for a prism would be the church as a whole.
1 Corinthians 12:4-10 ESV
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5] and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; [6] and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. [7] To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8] For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
If there is no light in the police to cause them to obey the laws they are hired to protect then they will become lawless. For God is a just God but also he is a merciful God. Slow to anger and quick to forgive. Also if there is no light to those in poverty, those who have become fatherless because of sin both in unfair rule of law and lawlessness of the community. Jesus came to the lost children of Israel first. As we anticipate his second coming, how much more we need to seek the lost children of America, and also the whole world. The light is fading fast. The land is dying. The people are losing hope. We are looking for a sign, and as Jesus said to the Pharisees…
Matthew 16:4 KJVS
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.
Jonah 3:2-10 KJVS
Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. [3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. [4] And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. [5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. [6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: [8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. [9] Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? [10] And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Jonah 4:1-4,10-11 KJVS
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. [2] And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. [3] Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. [4] Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? [10] Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: [11] And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Nineveh, like America had a choice. They chose wisely but their fate was still to be destroyed as they fell away from their fear of the Lord. There is still time but not much. The bible says it. Science says it. Social unrest says it. The weather says it. Now is the time to repent as there may not be a later.
As for our differences in today as Christians, we should put aside our differences and open our eyes to the fact that we need the police, however they are still only human. They should be held accountable for their actions according to the law. We need to show love for those who are in those positions who are holding themselves up to a higher standard when everyone is either ridiculing or living in bitterness. As for our communities, we need lift our communities up. We need to take better care of our communities. If we don’t then will not be held blameless. If there is no hope, and there is no love, there is no chance for healing. If there is no compassion left then we are just noise. All that is left is sorrow and anger.
The Path Less Traveled 