Mid-term Congressional elections are nearing in the US and my Facebook feed is full of posts by Christian and Jewish friends who live there (and a fair number who don’t) urging anyone who sees these posts to donate money to political parties and candidates, join “get out the vote” campaigns and various other things meant to ensure that their side wins and, no less importantly, the other side loses.
It reminds me of Bashar al-Assad, the current dictator of Syria. I know some people won’t like me making this comparison, but just bear with me for a moment because I think there’s a lot we can learn from Assad as he has, according to most analysts, “won” the nearly 8 year long civil war in his country.
But what does that mean?
It means he’s retained his position as the leader of a country which was in fairly bad shape before the war started and is now utterly wrecked. The UN stopped counting casualties in the war about three years ago, estimating at the time that a half million people had died as a result of kinetic violence. By now that number is almost certainly doubled and perhaps as many more people have died in Syria of second order consequences such as starvation and disease. Beyond that, optimistic estimates say Syria’s physical infrastructure will need between $200 and $250 billion and a minimum of 10 years to get back to the point that it was the day before the war started.
So that’s what “winning” has meant for Bashar al-Assad.
Now, what does that have to do with the mid-term elections in the US?
Well, America isn’t as trashed as Syria is, but it’s in pretty bad shape and on a trajectory to get worse no matter who “wins” the elections in November, or the next elections in 2020.
In my last blog, I described the raging wildfires and drought in California and other western States. You can add to that tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes and floods in the Gulf Coast States, etc. The PHYSICAL destruction caused by these increasingly powerful natural disasters is bad enough by itself. But it’s also a pretty good metaphor for the spiritual/cultural state of America, which is, incidentally, still quite a bit better than the spiritual/cultural state in most other Western countries.
Be that as it may, America is already a post-Christian nation, and that’s not something that can be turned around by “winning” elections, or any other efforts designed to “make America Great Again”.
Let me put it another way; if you’ve spent more time in the last month talking to people about why they should vote a certain way than you have talking with people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, than you need to reorder your priorities.
That goes for anyone reading this in any other country on this planet, very much including Israel.
My dear brothers and sisters, the end of this Age is at the doorstep and time is DESPERATELY short.
Very, VERY soon, you and I will be standing before our King, giving an account for what we did with the time, talents and energy He gave us during our sojourn in this mortal life.
When you get there, would you rather tell Him what you did to help “Make America Great Again” or even “preserve Israeli democracy” or would you rather tell Him about what you did to rescue your next door neighbor (or even your own children) from the Pit of Hell?
It’s not a rhetorical question, it’s something we all need to give serious thought to and then immediately start acting on those thoughts.
I think it’s helpful to remember what Hebrews 11:16 says;
“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them”
The earthly kingdoms we live in are falling down around our ears, socially, culturally, politically, economically and even physically. But the Heavenly Kingdom we’ve been promised will never fall and the WORST DAY you and I ever have in that Kingdom is going to be a trillion times better than the best day we ever had in the USA, Israel, or wherever else you are sitting while reading this blog.
So we need to stop trying to save the earthly kingdoms we belong to and get busy building the Heavenly Kingdom we’ve been promised. Bring your family, your friends, your neighbors and if possible even your enemies into that Kingdom. I’m looking forward to seeing you, and them, very soon.