Following Jesus in an angry nation
For weeks, I have felt unsettled. God is moving in so many ways in me and in the lives of so many around me. I am as excited about the future of my own family and our church family as I have ever been. There is much for which I am thankful.
At the same time, our nation is in a state of unrest. This is why I’ve felt unsettled. I don’t watch the news. I read from a variety of sources to learn what’s going on in my country and to a lesser extent, around the world. I typically don’t read anything until I’ve spent time with Jesus in the morning, communing with him through prayer, reading of Scripture, and more recently, writing down what I’ve experienced during my time with him.
The last few weeks, I have been asking him to guide me as I felt him leading me to write something about what it looks like to follow Jesus in America at this moment in our history. I feel a responsibility to lead our church to stay focused on Jesus through every season we experience together. I much prefer personal conversations, but there are times that a written letter such as this is needed. I believe this is one of those times.
Our country has become an angry nation. As we have plugged into the 24-hour news channels and engaged in social media, we have lost sight of valuing other human beings. And as our leaders and influencers have become increasingly divided, we have followed their example. Many of them argue and blame one another on camera and in their posts. They characterize people who are unlike them as less than human. This has become the norm. And many Americans do the same. The result is a level of brokenness that continues as an undercurrent in our society.
Public acts of violence fill our screens and feeds. Many have chosen this as their method of taking care of their perceived problems. People have charged into government buildings. Assassinations have been attempted, with some carried out. Protests have turned chaotic and citizens have been killed by those who have been entrusted to stand for justice. National leaders have placed blame without taking the time to find out what truly happened. We see all of this unfolding in front of us, and it affects us … sometimes in ways we don’t even fully understand.
If we aren’t careful, we form our own opinions about it all without asking God to lead us. We are compromised without a deep connection to Him. And even if we do invite God to lead us, we wonder if we can talk about how we feel with others we are close to. We are afraid it might lead to more conflict. If we disagree, will it cause brokenness in our relationship with the other person?
We carry all of this, every day.
Church family, we need a vibrant, active, daily relationship with God. This is the only way forward for us. Without this, we will fall victim to the anger in our culture. This deep relationship with God must mold who we are. We must invite Jesus to change us daily. We must experience the truth of the Bible as transformational. Our time with Jesus must form our thoughts about life in America, in our cities, towns and neighborhoods. It must form the content we allow into our lives and our reactions to that content. We must ask Jesus to form how we view our leaders, our influencers, government agents, illegal and legal immigrants, protesters and criminals. We must invite him to form how we treat our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, family members, friends and fellow believers. We must allow him to lead us in how we respond to events that take place locally, nationally and internationally.
Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is an excellent place to start. In this amazing sermon, found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus clearly lays out what it looks like to have a right relationship with God, and right relationships with other people. It’s no accident that this is where God has led our church these last few months. Lean into your relationship with Jesus. Grow in him. Grow with the believers in your life. Experience his love, rest in his love, share his love with the people you come into contact with. Push back against the temptation to cast people as villains and heroes. We are all flawed. Compare the voices of those you’ve supported with the teachings of your Savior. Pray for people you agree with and people you disagree with.
Love God. Love people. This is the way of Jesus. It must be our way, too.
At the same time, our nation is in a state of unrest. This is why I’ve felt unsettled. I don’t watch the news. I read from a variety of sources to learn what’s going on in my country and to a lesser extent, around the world. I typically don’t read anything until I’ve spent time with Jesus in the morning, communing with him through prayer, reading of Scripture, and more recently, writing down what I’ve experienced during my time with him.
The last few weeks, I have been asking him to guide me as I felt him leading me to write something about what it looks like to follow Jesus in America at this moment in our history. I feel a responsibility to lead our church to stay focused on Jesus through every season we experience together. I much prefer personal conversations, but there are times that a written letter such as this is needed. I believe this is one of those times.
Our country has become an angry nation. As we have plugged into the 24-hour news channels and engaged in social media, we have lost sight of valuing other human beings. And as our leaders and influencers have become increasingly divided, we have followed their example. Many of them argue and blame one another on camera and in their posts. They characterize people who are unlike them as less than human. This has become the norm. And many Americans do the same. The result is a level of brokenness that continues as an undercurrent in our society.
Public acts of violence fill our screens and feeds. Many have chosen this as their method of taking care of their perceived problems. People have charged into government buildings. Assassinations have been attempted, with some carried out. Protests have turned chaotic and citizens have been killed by those who have been entrusted to stand for justice. National leaders have placed blame without taking the time to find out what truly happened. We see all of this unfolding in front of us, and it affects us … sometimes in ways we don’t even fully understand.
If we aren’t careful, we form our own opinions about it all without asking God to lead us. We are compromised without a deep connection to Him. And even if we do invite God to lead us, we wonder if we can talk about how we feel with others we are close to. We are afraid it might lead to more conflict. If we disagree, will it cause brokenness in our relationship with the other person?
We carry all of this, every day.
Church family, we need a vibrant, active, daily relationship with God. This is the only way forward for us. Without this, we will fall victim to the anger in our culture. This deep relationship with God must mold who we are. We must invite Jesus to change us daily. We must experience the truth of the Bible as transformational. Our time with Jesus must form our thoughts about life in America, in our cities, towns and neighborhoods. It must form the content we allow into our lives and our reactions to that content. We must ask Jesus to form how we view our leaders, our influencers, government agents, illegal and legal immigrants, protesters and criminals. We must invite him to form how we treat our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, family members, friends and fellow believers. We must allow him to lead us in how we respond to events that take place locally, nationally and internationally.
Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is an excellent place to start. In this amazing sermon, found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus clearly lays out what it looks like to have a right relationship with God, and right relationships with other people. It’s no accident that this is where God has led our church these last few months. Lean into your relationship with Jesus. Grow in him. Grow with the believers in your life. Experience his love, rest in his love, share his love with the people you come into contact with. Push back against the temptation to cast people as villains and heroes. We are all flawed. Compare the voices of those you’ve supported with the teachings of your Savior. Pray for people you agree with and people you disagree with.
Love God. Love people. This is the way of Jesus. It must be our way, too.