The Republican party is not another name for the Church. Neither are the Democrats or the Independents. America is not the new Israel. We are not God’s chosen people. God used to bless our nation. Now we are justly under His wrath. In better days, when tragedy came…floods, hurricanes, Indian attacks, a murder, the unexpected death of a youth or a housewife, poor harvests, shipwrecks…the first response of the American conscience was seeking the face of God for the reason for these harsh providences. Pastors, magistrates, governors, Congress, even the President would call for a Solemn Assembly, a day of prayer and fasting, public humiliation, and repentance to discover and alleviate the reason for the hand of God in these remedial judgments.
We have just missed the greatest opportunity in recent history to make the best of a gracious judgment of God. Make no mistake, the year 2020 was an invitation to us to repent and seek Him. And we let it slip by. Washington spent its time and our billions, twittering and impeaching while the people rioted, looted, had paid anarchists, and perfected the art of hate.
But my concern here is not what the politicians and other lost people did, rather what the preachers did and did not do. The greatest theological debate of 2020 among pastors was “Mask or no mask.” Preachers who have been assigned the greatest task among men spent countless social media hours and energy trying to elect their candidate. They’ve forgotten, or didn’t know, or Heaven forbid, don’t believe that God has reserved that task for Himself. As important as political involvement and voting may be, God ordains His presidents and puts them in place. It’s easy to see that whichever way the election went would have been further punishment on our country.
Some foolish high profile preachers “prophesied” the outcome. I’m sure they planned ahead and have their escape clauses figured out assuring themselves they won’t be stoned.
Of course, I have no idea what every preacher in America has been saying. Surely there have been prophets among us declaring the Word of the Lord. It’s just that among those on my radar screen, not a single one has cried out to the Lord for mercy from Corona, not one has publicly cried out confessing his sins and the sins of his church, not one has cried out calling the American people to repentance, to humiliation, to confession. Not one, that I have heard, has cried out for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Not one has cried out from a broken heart, declaring that Revival among God’s people and Spiritual Awakening among the lost is the only hope for America and the world.
Why not? Why no cry?