There is an "exceptionalism" about these United States, but, at the same time, there is really nothing exceptional about how the country is deteriorating along with the rest of the West. However the upcoming election pans out, it will be business as usual as far as history is concerned. The principles of freedom will still exist and they will still work. God will still reward righteousness with its precious fruits. But men, because of their evil hearts, will turn their backs upon them. Men with little responsibility in this world will harm little more than themselves. Men with great responsibility in this world will harm multitudes.
I, along with others, keep thinking about the 1930's. I keep hearing Churchill's words ringing in my ears. Such words as, "So we go on preparing more months and years - precious, perhaps vital, to the greatness of Britain - for the locusts to eat." [Nov. 12, 1936] The same kind of selfish and foolish actions of politicians in his day, which brought about horrible consequences, we see in our own.
The cultures of our world will continue to change. We complain of the rapidity with which American culture has changed in the last one hundred years. The culture of a middle European county could change just as rapidly with the invasion of the latest version of the barbarian horde. "There is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man."
Nothing about our lives in this world is certain and perhaps many of us in the Church need a bit of a shake up to remember our true purpose in life. What are we the most concerned about with this election? Is it the economy? The threat from Islam? As important as these are, we Christians must not forget the millions of innocent lives murdered every year in the womb. We cannot forget the threat from the radical "left" to religious freedom for our descendants. We must be concerned for these things, and we must fight for them as any decent citizen would for any just cause. We must especially fight with our prayers - our greatest "weapon." Let our concerns be dominated, not by the media, but by our own world-view, by Holy Scripture.
It is right to love one's country. It is right to love the good things that are in one's culture. It is right to be grieved when truth, goodness and beauty are on the scaffold. But let us not forget who we are, by definition, by redemption. We are the sons of God. And we are here to serve Christ, whatever the world around us does. Let us not be too shocked when the country we love deteriorates. Let us rather, with the eyes of faith, fix our eyes on the One who always leads us in triumph. While not shirking our responsibilities as citizens, let us be more happy to be citizens of heaven than of any earthly "State." Let us endure, seeing Him who cannot be seen, but will be seen, when He comes to make everything right, good, and new.
Keep the faith! Fight the fight. He that endures to the end will be saved.
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