In God We Trust

That familiar passage in Ephesians 6 highlights the gargantuan struggle between good and evil, between God's forces and the forces of the devil.  And, we certainly must recognize that there is a
battle for the souls of men and women that is not physical in nature. 2nd Corinthians 10 says:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds...

The fruit of the enemy is seen all around us - divisiveness, harsh speech and actions, lack of regard for the lives of other people, a pervasive sense of sexual immorality.  Galatians 5 has a list of the works of the flesh.  But the answer to sin is not found in human effort nor self-help methodology; rather sin is to be recognized, identified, and put to death by the blood of Jesus.  The answers to human sinfulness are found in the truths of God's Word, and He empowers us to walk in His ways.

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We continue to recognize the principles upon which our nation was founded, and even amidst the rancor and even the violence, our collective devotion to Judeo-Christian principles has helped to
sustain our nation. Some words of wisdom from Proverbs 14 now:
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

Later in the chapter, we see:
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.

Students returning to classes this year in Louisiana will be greeted by our national motto being displayed in schools.  According to the WAFB Television website, a bill that was signed by Governor John Bel Edwards last year takes effect for this school year that "requires every school to display the national motto and educate students on its history."  That national motto, by the way, is "In God We Trust."

Shelby Ainsworth, the principal of West Monroe High School is quoted; he says, "I still feel strongly that America is a Christian nation,” adding, “I want our high school youngsters exposed to as much as that as possible." He adds, "There are varied opinions even amongst high school students, their parents, the communities, the different churches that are represented, different faiths that we have...It's nothing hidden, it's nothing swept under the rug, but it's nothing forced upon anyone." The article says that "dozens of posters can be seen along the walls in each building."

Fox News reports that students in South Dakota will be seeing the motto at their schools; the story says that the law was passed "requiring the state's 149 districts to paint, stencil or prominently feature the national motto."  In both states, the display is mandated, but the method by which the words are displayed are discretionary.

The Forbes website ran an article at the beginning of last school year about other states that have the provision to display the national motto.  It said:

Six primarily Southern states — Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama and Arizona — have approved legislation since last year explicitly requiring or allowing public schools to display the words “In God We Trust,” which has been the national motto since 1956 and is inscribed on American currency. Returning students in Florida and Tennessee are seeing the required displays for the first time, while those in Alabama, where such displays are optional, will likely see a slower rollout.

And, it pointed out that, as of this time last year, other states had considered similar legislation.

This is most certainly a message that we as a culture and as a nation need to hear.  In the aftermath of the recent El Paso and Dayton shootings, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went on Fox & Friends and highlighted not only the harmful effect of violent video games, but the lack of spiritual moorings in our country.  He said, according to Real Clear Politics:

"So we need to look at all of this and who we are and as long as we continue to only praise God and look at God on a Sunday morning and kick him out of the town square at our schools the other six days of the week, what do we expect? What do we expect? There’s no excuse for this. We condemn it totally, but as a nation, we have to look at this and leave all of the politics out of it."

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee echoed the need for spiritual solutions on Martha McCallum's program, The Story, also on Fox News.  According to the Washington Examiner, he stated:

"Those of us who would try to say, 'Well, look for spiritual answers.' How can you tell a young man that God wants to be your father if his image of a father is someone who abandoned him or beat up his mother? This is why we have to rethink, but recognize at the same time, that ultimately the hole in the human heart can never be filled just by human things. It has to be filled ultimately by spiritual things that give people a higher sense of who they are, what their identity is, and why they matter."

Huckabee then went on to say that mass shooters are drawn to hateful, fringe ideologies because they lack the feelings of significance once derived by relationships to God and family.

As I reported to you earlier, pastors Greg Laurie and Jack Graham released a video following the shootings, in which they also emphasized the spiritual forces behind these horrific events.

We have a spiritual problem in America.  There is no doubt.  And, we have to address matters of the spirit using spiritual principles.  That involves speaking truth - God's Word, and it involves fervent prayer, recognizing the spiritual warfare element that is driving people to do horrific acts.

But, I don't think blaming America is the answer.  Christians should love our country and appreciate our freedoms and our system of government.  There are those that would want to lead us away from the time-honored principles upon which our nation was founded.  I believe that has become quite a political issue: what are our values?  And, what system of government reflect the values upon which this nation was founded?

There are many Christians who love America, and should not be denigrated for that love of country, and to be described as "Christian nationalists," with some sinister meaning attached to that term.  It's not helpful to denigrate our country, including one particular Christian speaker who claimed after the shootings, "America isn’t a Christian nation. It’s a murderous one and it has been since it’s inception."  This tweet was cited in an article on the Capstone Report website, which also linked to a previous article on the site from a Georgetown professor.  He is quoted as saying:

“But as a political program, advocating for a Christian America is a deeply un-American and un-Christian idea. Politics should be about flourishing for all and about the common good, not about perks and privileges for our tribe,” he writes. Also, “The disestablishment of religion is important not because John Locke said so, but because it is an essential biblical doctrine deeply rooted in the Baptist tradition and, from it, the American tradition.”

So, it's America's fault?  No, our nation was founded on Christian principles; our Founders were intent on providing a nation of religious freedom and the pursuit of morality.  There were imperfect men in search of an effective and inspiring ideal - America hasn't always done it right, but there has always been promise and potential.  That's the foundation; but when there is a departure from the principles, consistent with Scripture, that's why we're in the mess we're in.