Peace Peace
They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Jeremiah 8:11
I keep thinking about the chaos in our nation right now. It is amazing to me that we have allowed ourselves to get to this point. I look back at how oblivious I have been as the little, incremental steps that got us here, were falling into place.
Incremental Demise
I was still in public school when they took prayer out. I wasn’t a Christian then but I don’t remember a big push back. I do remember that being “judgmental” started being talked about after that.
The “family friendly” TV shows turned into bawdy sit-coms. Some brave Moms took on the networks, but not enough to change things. Out of that, we got ratings, not a reversal. Now, it has gone to borderline pornography. We sit quietly, not wanting to look judgmental.
We went from a time when living together before marriage and pregnancy out of wedlock were considered sin (because they are according to God), to being tolerant of what everyone wanted to do. It is no big deal today. If we think it is, we are being judgmental.
Along with this came the legalization of abortion when I was still in high school. There was an outcry from many Christians…just not enough to make a difference. Sadly, many of us thought that if our trusted lawmakers were passing it as a law, they must understand more than we do (how foolish!).
We went from being ashamed of our sin, to excusing it, to celebrating it. We have to acknowledge sin as sin in order to expect God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Yet, when we say so, we are being judgmental.
When the world made birth control available to anyone over 12, our response was “promise rings” within the church, not protest before the world.
Bad Theology
I remember being told that we couldn’t tell the world they were wrong because they couldn’t get it. Without the Holy Spirit, they would not have a clue that this was wrong. Jesus did not think like that. He confronted sin head on with unbelievers (Luke 19:45, Matthew 12:34). He proclaimed the truth, sometimes quite emphatically, and, while human, let God the Father determine the outcome. He did what He came to do. (John 8:28, 12:49)
I fear that we have made peace with being non-judgmental and so, we are reluctant to “proclaim Christ.” Our fear of offending leaves unbelievers in their sin and not in the peace knowing the Lord Jesus Christ brings.
Perhaps, when it comes down to it, my real fear is that I am culpable in the demise of Christianity in our nation, as is the Church. If Isaiah were alive today, I believe he would call us complacent in our comfort (Isaiah 32:10-11).
Father forgive us. Give us the courage to stand up and proclaim Truth to our nation in this time of desperate need. Please do not allow us to proclaim “peace, peace,” where there is no peace.