The New god of America

America has a new god, government. Just the other day I was driving down the highway on my way to work and I saw a sticker on the back of a vehicle that said, “Obama, Save our nation!” I thought to myself how sad it was that people are turning to government officials for “salvation.” The government has no special powers. It has no special knowledge, wisdom, insight, or ability to forgive sin and make things right. The reason being, the government is made up of people just like you and I.

If in fact we have failed as individuals we are likely to fail as a group. Sin does not disappear because we have decided to make decisions on a larger scale. Yet, somehow we have opted to turn to government for the answers to our economy, education, healthcare, marriages, childcare, and even righteousness.

I have heard Christians say that they cast there vote for certain people because they have plans to feed the poor and care for the homeless. I heard one pastor say that he supported Barack Obama over John McCain because although one had a pro-life stance, he (McCain) did not want to feed those children once they were born. I suppose murder is by far a better option than neglect. This raises the question, Who is responsible for the poor and downtrodden?

When I look in the Bible I do not see God charging believers to elect official that will care for the orphan, the poor, or the widow. I don’t see God charging government officials to reach out to these groups either. What I do see is that God has charged his people, Christians, to do this very important work. This is not to say that the government can not play a role in this work. It is to say that the Church can not pass its responsibility to care for the less fortunate off to a government that does not share our values or our divine calling.

With many churches spending their resources on brick and mortar instead of the needy people of the community, it is no wonder people have turned their hope toward the government. It is time that we take our position back as the primary advancers of the human condition. The Christian church has a long history of caring for the sick, providing educational opportunities, visiting the incarcerated, establishing orphanages, and much, much more. Christ is our savior, not government. We are His Body. We are the vehicle through which he moves to meet the needs of hurting people.

Unbelievable Times...

These are unbelievable times indeed. Unbelievable, as in you can’t believe any of our leaders. If you watch news at all then you saw the catastrophe of a press conference by Nancy Pelosi concerning harsh questioning and the CIA. Speaker Pelosi fumbled and stumbled during this Q & A in manner that would make Press Secretary Robert Gibbs look like toastmaster of the year. During the press conference Ms. Pelosi accused the CIA of “misleading” congress. She would later try to recant by releasing a statement accusing the Bush administration of lying.

This wouldn’t be so bad if this were an isolated incident. That simply is not the case. New York Representative Charlie Rangel who sits on the very committee that writes tax law in our nation is struggling to defend himself concerning tax evasion charges. When questioned about the violations he stated that it was a “personal issue.” Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner who is in charge of the IRS also avoided paying his taxes. He reported that it was a mistake. Unlike most of us, his mistake came with no interest or penalty charges from the IRS.

Our government officials have given us very little to trust in when it comes to policy making, moral authority, or motivation for legislative campaigns. I wish with all my heart that this lack of character were a disease that was limited to only secular government leaders. Sadly, the church is facing its own crisis of character. Big name ministers have abused their wives, cheated on spouses, fathered children out of wedlock, stolen funds, and attempted to cover all of it up. Even worse, when confronted some of these leaders have flippantly blown the issues off and continue to occupy pulpits as though nothing is wrong.

Perhaps our leaders are simply mirroring the state of the church. If they are not reflecting the example we have put forth, maybe they are showing our lack of effectiveness in impacting the lives of people with the Gospel of Christ in a way that is meaningful and transformational. Churches often clamor for the presence of elected officials to pay a visit to the church or become a member. I have not gotten the feeling that we have challenged these leaders to search their hearts and confess their sins. Rather, we have been star struck and used their influence to increase our own notoriety as a church or minister.

There is another problem in America today, substance. Our nation is heavy on image and light on substance. Image can get you a job, a date, popularity, a government position, and the like. However, image can not get the job done. Image can not satisfy the requirements of a position. Ultimately image will fade and the truth shall be known. Many Christian ministries have been sucked in by the quick success of image. We want to dress right, speak right, drive the right car, live in the right neighborhood and house, and be on the right Christian show. These things may attract people for a moment, but without substance their attention will not be maintained, nor will there lives be changed.

Let us stop pretending and advertising. Let our yes be yes and our no be no (Matthew 5:37). Let us return to a people of character, honesty, trust, and substance. Let us reach out to people who are searching for truth with the truth and substance of Jesus Christ. He is the way, the TRUTH, and the life. Christ is the full substance of God. Let us turn to him for our leadership.