October 21, 2019 – Click here to listen
We began as the United States of America but sadly have become the Divided States of America. We have endured one civil war that ended government sanctioned slavery and now there are those who warn about another civil war looming ahead of us. It seems this time that the issue which would spawn such a drastic war is not as clearly defined. Special interests exist for race, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, political affiliation, and about any subject one can dream up, but those conditions have existed since the beginning of the United States and America has embraced being a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities where a variety of races, cultures, or individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole. It’s one of the things that has made our country the leader of the entire world.
So, what happened to divide us and take us to the brink of war?
Regardless of those rejecting history we were initially founded as “one nation under God” according to Judeo Christian tradition. Many people use this term, Judeo Christian, to describe a religious and ethical consensus and refer to it as the basis of all of Western civilization. The Judeo-Christian tradition of shared values and connected destinies on a spiritual level has declined and in fact now divides Americans. God’s laws promote civility and tolerance, indeed the greatest command in the Bible is found in Matthew 22:37 – “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The prevailing attitude within many special interests left or right is to love our friends and despise our enemies. Incivility and intolerance are spawned by this rejection. When I was a CEO and a serious problem arose, I would call together a group of my best people with widely varying opinions on how best to handle the situation. I would carefully listen to what each one had to say. I wasn’t interested in their race, culture, religion, or anything other than how to solve the problem at hand. After hearing from everyone I made the decision. Though I didn’t always agree with some, nonetheless I respected their opinion and appreciated their counsel and input.
There is no respect for varying opinions in today’s divided environment be it practically any issue including gun control, immigration, LGBT, climate change, abortion, defense, schools, curriculum, religion, discrimination, homelessness, or even our constitution. It’s turning into a tribal situation with different factions all demanding “my way or the highway.”
Thus, our beloved country is at a standstill and the vicious attacks are sounding like a civil war could be imminent as the only solution. Nothing gets done in Congress and no progress is made addressing much of anything.
I was studying Chapter five of the last book of the Bible, Revelation, this morning and it was interesting. Everyone was weeping that no one would open the scrolls that God held in His hand due to their unworthiness. Then Jesus steps in and they all start worshipping Him with exuberant joy. This chapter could be entitled “Worthy is the Lamb.” It is the prelude to God’s judgment of the world at the end of the great tribulation. When Jesus steps forward to read it everyone, starting first with the four living creatures, (angels that will carry out God’s judgments) and then the 24 elders seated surrounding God’s throne, and then an innumerable host of angels, and finally every creature lifts its voice of praise to Jesus for being worthy to open the scrolls. When the Lamb, Jesus, took the scroll, the weeping immediately ended, and the worship began with a new song celebrating what He had done. Why all the weeping and then celebration? The song celebrates that Jesus at long last will judge the world. We will return with Him and rule with Him. It will be a time of peace and love as Jesus Himself rules the world from His throne in Jerusalem. But first must come the terrible judgment.
Is the end of time approaching? No one knows the exact timing, but Jesus said that we will know it is close when certain things happen. Those things have happened. We weep as we long for peace and we know there is but One who can bring it, Jesus. The only special interest in heaven will be worshipping our God; there will be no divisions and it will indeed be a melting pot of people with the common denominator of loving God with all that we have and loving each other in similar fashion.
Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”