God, Politics, America and Morality: Why I Remain So Encouraged

Looking Ahead…

Last week I was interviewed by fellow blogger TC Avey. She asked some tough questions about God, politics, America and morality. Here’s how I fielded them:

Q: How do you think God views America and us today?

I think God knows all and is omnipotent. He has a master plan for us and for the future. I think it is very difficult for us to comprehend from His perspective, to understand much of what is happening or what will happen in the future. The Book of Revelation is loaded with symbolism and inference. There is so much in the Bible historically and that which is outlined in our future in Revelation that we can see in our world today. I’m able to find peace in our world today knowing that His plan is perfect, and that I have the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus. I’m very much the one in control of that, and that is what matters most.

Q: What do you think God would have to say regarding America’s churches and morals?

I believe we live in a challenging time historically; it’s difficult to view sometimes through the lens of life. However, I don’t think of 2013 as a part of a new “Dark Ages” – when there was intellectual, cultural or economic “darkness” in Europe after the decline of the Roman Empire, or a period of spiritual darkness, although there are statistics that show more and more people are turning from Christianity.

Being a total optimist, I see so many good opportunities in our world today, and for our future. When a guy like Paul can encourage others from the walls of prison I’m thinking that it’s good to look at the up side of things.

Sometimes I have to wonder what some folks are thinking as I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff at church and/or involving “church people.” Then I read the Bible and see so many parallels to our churches today, both good and bad. So I’ve been thinking, is there really anything wrong with the world today? Think about it this way: All of humanity is “burdened” by one complicated gift from God – free will. Free will goes side by side with every war and dispute of political or religious nature. Consider all of humanity in a tug-of-war between good and evil. If you’re a believer you already know the outcome. That, to me, is extremely good news! The really excellent thing about free will is that we are able to control some of our influence and have an impact. And, in many respects, through free will we are given the choice for our future, eternally speaking. I like that.

Q: America seems to be at a cross roads both spiritually and politically, how should Christians be responding to those who think we are too active in politics?

I decided a while ago to stay away from writing about politics, although I certainly have opinion like I believe everyone should. I find it fascinating to research concepts like anarchy and equality, and how these concepts are defined by various points of view. Indeed, I chose to answer this question TC intentionally with one thought, there is an excellent book that I recommend to EVERYBODY, “How Do You Kill 11 Million People” by Andy Andrews. Pretty chilling how a leader got a bunch of people unknowingly on railroad trains to the gas chambers. Also very thought provoking about how we’re choosing our political leaders without really knowing them. Looks can be very deceiving at times. Great book, read it.

So many issues that we face today come down to politics and/or religion. Many people feel very strongly about both of these topics. Consider abortion, religious freedom, and gun control, also gay and equal rights, just to name a few. Now it’s easier than ever to express your opinion on a topic of interest. If you are in with social networking you’re exposed to it, and it’s very easy to let the evil one into your mind where dissention, dissatisfaction and pessimism soon begin to erode our dialogue. Some good things to think about, for sure.

Q: Has God been speaking to you about our nation? If so, what has He been showing you?

The three most optimistic demographics of our population are the Hispanics, African-Americans and the Millennial, according to a recent survey by The Barn Group. The Hispanics are also the fastest growing demographic in America. What does that say about our future? Well, to me, it paints a picture of change. Granted, some folks are not up for this type of change, however it may be a very healthy one for our people. True, this comes at a time when more and more people are turning from Christianity, but I think if we, as Christians, look at the underlying reasons and stop lying to ourselves and our congregations we will find the root causes of the exodus from our religion. We need look no farther than the folks of Jesus’ time who persecuted Him to realize that the church today has plenty of room for improvement – unfortunately we resemble those people when we only want to accept part of what He was all about, or only on certain days of the week. Do we really want to support concepts like religious freedom when it means we may be in a minority? Likewise, do you feel that many Christians are “loving your neighbors as yourself” and at the same time our churches and their groups often don’t resemble a true slice of community? Good questions that we each individually may want to consider.

I believe the core issue with many in our faith is that we have tremendously complicated what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. I think Christianity is going through a shake down, if you will, where people are finally standing up and saying, you know, what I see over there isn’t really what Jesus is about. I don’t want to be a part of that (whatever that may be), but I do want to know and resemble Jesus.

In many ways, we’re seeing a return to traditions that once were downplayed. The true message of Jesus is displayed on the cross and in the Gospel. I’m so excited when I see at least a portion of our society and some of our churches embracing this. That is what it is really all about. Unfortunately not everyone will get it, and there will always be those who know what it’s all about and chose another path. I think our job is simply to love them anyway.

Many thanks to TC for the opportunity to share my thoughts on these important topics!

TC Avey is a Christian devoted to God, family, friends & nation. An aspiring author and avid reader, she also has a heart for animals. Her blog is Wisdom of a Fool. You can also follow her on Twitter.