April 24, 2021 Volume 6: Issue 1
by Karen Lynn Woo
During the 2020 presidential campaigns, former president Donald Trump continued to promote his slogan “Make America Great Again,” while President Joe Biden promoted the slogan, “Build Back Better.” Both slogans pointed to how the actions/plans of the presidential candidates might restore the country to the number one place America once held among the nations of the world. Yet I remember reading a story many years ago about a man who came to the United States from, I believe, China to study the American way of life in order to discover what made America the great nation it was. After 3 years he was asked if he had reached a conclusion, to which he responded in the affirmative. His conclusion was that what had made America a great nation was its strong moral compass. Sadly, even then he said he could see it disintegrating.
Looking back over the years, it is clear the man was right. With the decline of the Church has also come the decline of our moral compass, as well as the decline of our nation. Yet comparatively few seem to have noticed this correlation. Belief in God is considered at best a crutch and at worst foolishness to today’s young people. Not surprising since this is what was taught to them by those considered wise and discerning at a time when churches were turning inward and preaching to themselves or morphing into peace and justice organizations. The question is, from whence do we get our moral compass if not from the God who commands us not to dishonor our elders, not to lie, not to steal, not to kill others, not to commit adultery or even pursue someone else’s spouse or possessions? Certainly not from those who wield their political power, knowledge of science/technology, wealth, physical or military strength, fame, etc. to force others into thinking it is okay that:
- Violence is used to demonstrate they are right and you are wrong, or to kill others on the basis of race or skin color.
- Abortion has led to the death of millions of children who have been murdered both inside and outside the womb.
- Political leaders have lied, cheated, stolen, and/or otherwise forced America to do their bidding “for the greater good.”
- Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died and continue to die of Covid 19, many of them dying alone.
- Hundreds of thousands of migrants stand waiting outside America’s southern border or are on their way to do so; and tens of thousands have already entered the nation despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of Americans have no job, no food, and/or no home.
- A historic mental health crisis has risen across the generations, most notably in our young people.
- Social media bullying has risen across the generations, from elementary school children to members of Congress.
- There is increased mistrust, racism, hatred, and division in our country.
No longer do we hear the paraphrase of Beatrice Hall, “I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.” Instead, what we hear and see across our nation is this: “I disagree with what you say and am willing to kill you for saying it.” AND, there are people who are willing to bail them out of jail if they do so.
“Yet hope remains while the Company is true.” The Company, of which elven queen Galadriel spoke in J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, was a small company of diverse beings whose mission it was to save the world from one who would be its ruler . . . its god . . . similar to those named above whose goal it is to rule America by obliterating the voices of those whose opinions differ from their own . . . by obliterating those whose skin color differs from their own . . . by obliterating those whose “god” is different from their own.
“Yet hope remains” for, like “the Company”, there are churches across the nation and around the world made up of diverse individuals whose mission it is to save the world . . . to love others as they love themselves; sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ with the unloved and those who are without hope, and working to join together those who “the wise” are tearing apart in an effort to help heal our broken world. Mother Teresa, who left the Loreto convent in Ireland to devote herself in caring for the sick and poor in Calcutta once said, “I want you to be concerned about your next-door neighbor. Do you know your next-door neighbor?” When asked how she was able to help so many people she called a child to her and hugged them. Then did the same with another, and another, and another. “One child at a time,” she replied. She demonstrated Christ’s love to the poorest of the poor, giving hope to the hopeless each and every day for decades, never seeing anyone as being less than herself because of their status, wealth, race, age, or anything else by which we, in America, judge others. To her, they were all God’s children deserving of His love . . . deserving of her love.
On Sunday, April 4th, people across the nation will spend the day with family/friends hunting for Easter eggs and eating baskets of chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Peeps, and more. But the real celebration will be found in those churches where God’s people are gathered to rejoice in their Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ; whose death and resurrection have provided the path to eternal life . . . heaven . . . not through the good works of human beings but through His undeserved gift of grace.
The wise would have you believe this is foolishness. No surprise there. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 25 says, “the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” and “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” If it is foolish to follow a God who commands us to love others as we love ourselves by feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, taking care of the sick, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, and teaching others everything we know about God, His love and His saving grace then be a fool for Jesus. Better to appear foolish to those who deem themselves wise than to appear wise to those who God deems to be fools!
If America is ever to become truly great again, its moral compass will have to be re-established by those the wise call foolish. The question is, as the wise seek to “cancel” the foolish, will the foolish be around long enough to make that happen or will America go the route of other once great nations, destroyed by the foolishness of those who deemed themselves wise?
Karen Lynn Woo is a regular contributor to Purpled Nail and a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)