The other news stories were not much better, nor the political advertisements that dominate our airways this time of the year. Politicians that lie, make empty promises and accusations fill the room with unpleasant sounds, yet I know very few will bother to call them to task before casting their precious vote.
For months now stories about the people's right to choose have made the daily press. The choice to live or die, the choice to worship, the choice of partners, and now once again the choice to tell or not tell is making the news.Even the choice to exercise a freedom of speech regardless of how many are in the theater is at it's most dangerous height, in part because of venues like Facebook .
The right to choose does not equivocate to the right choice. They all can't be right!
It is no wonder that it now appears that God has hidden Himself from this great nation. A God who feels love and grants mercies, a God who delivers grace, can also be a God who feels sadness. I think today He is sad. The good news is that though He has chosen to hide Himself from man a number of times in our brief history, He has never left us.
A time not too long ago I was privileged to attend Galilean Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Each Sunday Pastor Tolbert Moore would end the service with an altar call. This evangelical call was not just for those wanting to accept Christ as their Savior, the call was also for anyone to come forward and lay their burdens at God's altar. Each Sunday morning those that hurt, those with fears and even those with shame would walk up to the altar and kneel on their knees asking Christ to lift their burden. Tears would stream down their face as they turned it up towards the heavens, towards their God.
As a nation it is time for an altar call. It is time to bend to our knees and ask God to grant the joy of our salvation. It is time to ask Him to grant us the fortitude to repent, to turn from our bad choices. It is time to ask Him to forgive.
No. No it will take more than bending to our knees, it is time to lay our faces on the ground, let our tears dampen the dust and ask. Even then we may not be low enough to enter into His grace.
I know these calamitous words of mine will fall on very few ears, and most of those will ignore them if they have even read this far. But I know this; I am compelled to write that which is in my heart. I know that God will never leave us. I know that things can only get better with His blessings.
I also know that for once I would like to enjoy my morning coffee without a teaspoon of evil.
