Fashionably late thoughts on America, Americans, and Evangelicals in light of #charlottesville.
America confuses me. I'm very unsure of what to believe these days. With the never-ending barrage of ridiculous news updates, I've been forced to stop all news notifications concerning American politics on my phone (I received far too many notifications concerning the specific amount of time it took President Trump to speak about the tragedy).
People who I deeply respect fall on both sides of the political spectrum and in their views on Trump that I simply do not know what or who to trust. It's about time I take responsibility and have a mind of my own. I feel ignorant and skeptical when even the news has an agenda to push.
Nevertheless, my mind thinks. The ideas aren't original. In fact, they are quite unoriginal, as most are.
Although I read a few articles of which I agreed and disagreed, something felt lacking. I was sickened by the actions of the neo-nazis. I was disappointed in the responses of others. I was critical of myself in my lack of compassion for the people who feel the oppression of white supremacy. So I ask myself, "how should this distant heart of mine respond?"
I found the right response in the Old (dare I say, "inapplicable"? I daren't for it is more applicable than ever) Testament:
"and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 HCSB
They must repent for they are the guilty. I must repent for I am guilty. You must repent for you are guilty. We are the guilty in need of restoration which comes through repentance.
Let us, Americans, conservatives, liberals, Evangelicals remember the words written by the King.
"To our most bitter opponents we say: '...Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws because non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. Throw us in jail and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process and our victory will be a double victory." -Quote by Martin Luther King Jr. as quoted by Phillip Yancey in "Vanishing Grace"
