EDITORIAL NOTE: Features articles are the opinions of their authors and do not reflect the opinions of the staff and management of Ink 19.
In God We Trust?
Lee Ann Leach
There’s a little play on words joke going around Calvary Chapel in St. Petersburg, Florida that goes a little something like this: “Yeah, John here, is a CEO Christian,” we say when we are introducing our friend “John” (or whomever). John, thinking he is being complimented on his utmost righteousness sticks his chest out in pride. He beams at what he believes is a compliment with the addition of “CEO” at the beginning of the title “Christian.” Until the explanation comes forth” “Yep, he’s a Christmas and Easter Only Christian.” Trying to add a little levity to this past weekend’s somber mood after the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorists attacks, several of us decided we needed to add in a third letter. Now, we call these people CEDO Christians: Christmas, Easter, and Disaster Only Christians. Two weeks ago, average Americans went about their business never considering God, and if they did, it was a flippant moment when they had an ache of conscience about something they knew in their hearts was wrong.
Let’s look at the “average American,” shall we? If we took the whole of the people in America and squished every person in America down into one man that would represent all of us, and how our country looks as compared to the rest of the world. What would this amalgamated American man look like, and be like as compared with the rest of this world’s people all squished into a single person? The American would own 59% of the entire world’s wealth. He would be super rich. In education, this American man would own 90% of the world’s college degrees. He would be the single most powerful military and financial superman among all people. Now, we will look at what he actually does with all this money, intelligence, and power. 38% of his wealth would be spent on luxury items. Items he does not need to survive or require for a comfortable life. 3% of his wealth would be given to the other people in the world that stand in need of food, clothing, and shelter. On his bookshelves, you would find many books on world history, psychology, and educational materials, but most of what you would find on his bookshelves would be pornography. America is the number one producer of pornography in the entire world. In his kitchen and food pantries, you would find enormous amounts of food, more food than any other single person “nation” of the whole lot. Along with the food, you would find enormous amounts of alcohol, because America is the number one producer of alcoholic beverages, as well. On his TV, you would find that his favorite programs are on HBO. These favorites programs are The Sopranos, Real Sex, and Sex in the City. At Christmas, Mr. America gets into his car – which bears a bumper sticker that reads, “Keep Abortion Safe, Legal, and Accessible!” – and he drives down to his local church. While he is in church for his yearly visit to God, he throws a couple of currency notes in the offering plate, and is so pleased with himself as he proudly proclaims to God, “Hey God! Bless me!” This is a true picture of what our nation, The United States of America, really looks like when boiled down to a single vision. This is the “man” that just last week fell flat on his face and cried out to God for help when a foreign people flattened two of our national “monuments.”
My question for Mr. America is simply this: Why did you have to wait until 5000 people were wiped off the face of the earth before you dropped to your knees and begged God for help? Why is the nation that slaughters over 5000 unborn babies a week in abortion clinics grieving over 5000 people killed in an act of terrorism? Why hasn’t this nation been on its knees crying out in grief for the thousands that die and starve every day in Third World countries? It is because this nation has turned the “created” into their God, instead of worshiping and honoring the real Creator!
America’s gods are the American Stock Exchange, our military strength, our hobbies, our houses and cars, our rock bands and entertainers, and yes, even our own families. God has told us time and time again that we are to have no other gods before Him. It’s not that hard, people! As educated and intelligent as we are supposed to be as Americans, I think we all look like bumbling, selfish fools, myself included! Do you really believe that God would let America, as a nation, continue on ignoring Him and pushing Him aside for our own pleasures? He didn’t allow the very “apple of His eye” in Old Testament times, the nation of Israel, to continue on without retribution. Israel was taken into captivity over and over again because they kept turning their backs on Him. Israel was scattered and desolate as nation for 2000 years, until the reformation in 1948! Are we so arrogant to believe that God wouldn’t do the same, and worse, to the United States of America? Honestly, what happened on September 11, 2001, was a mere slap on the wrist compared to what is within the power of God’s wrath to a nation that turns their back on Him.
On Friday, President Bush called for “A Day of Prayer and Remembrance,” which was one of the greatest things I’ve seen this man proclaim, with one exception. Instead of calling it “A Day of Prayer and Remembrance,” it should have been called, “A Day of Prayer and REPENTANCE!”
As a nation that claims to be “one nation under God,” we should all be on our knees asking forgiveness for kicking Him and His Word out of our schools, out of our government, and out of our homes and lives. After acknowledging our incredible sins against Him, we should thank Him for the very air we breathe, the food in our stomachs, and the roof over our heads, because frankly, that is more than many people have in this world. Then we should make the vow to disown our selfishness and arrogance, and reach out to each other in the love He pleads for us to have to Him, and to one another. How can we expect God, who asks only for our obedience and love, to save us from anyone or anything – terrorism, hunger, famine, drought, pestilence, and every other nasty thing included? It would be foolish to even think it.
God did not “make” this tragedy on America happen, but He did allow it to happen. He is a loving, ultimate Father. Any loving human father, when he sees his child that he loves doing something wrong, will warn and chastise the child, because he loves the child. If the child does not listen when he warns him several times of his disobedience, he will eventually have to bring down some sort of punishment to make the child learn between right and wrong. He doesn’t enjoy it or get pleasure from it any more than the child enjoys it. As a matter of fact, as a parent, I can tell you that it hurts a parent deeply to have to punish a disobedient child. I have cried myself to sleep many nights after having to correct my own children. It’s a painful thing as a parent. Do you think that the ultimate, perfect Father of all creation really enjoys bringing down punishment on His children? No, He is crying right along with us in our grief and frustration. His heart is broken that we do not long to crawl in His lap and receive loving direction. He is grief stricken that we have forgotten Him.
God makes another promise to us if we turn back to Him, and allow Him to be first in our lives. He promises revenge and destruction from His own hand to those that seek to harm us or bring us down in any way. America needs to turn back to God, and ask forgiveness. Then, America needs to lean on Him to carry out His revenge on those that seek to destroy what He has created and given to us as Americans. Americans founded this nation on trust in God. Check your currency notes, it is written on the notes in bold letters, “In God We Trust.” I think it’s time we learn to live as we “spend.” ◼
