Call it What it Is

 

As a man of faith, I tend to draw from the foundations of my beliefs in times of crisis, hurt, and despair. I instinctively begin to pray when there’s something unsettling in the atmosphere. I see a car broken down on the other side of the highway and I pray that God will send the resources needed to improve the situation. I keep a list of people on my phone and pray for each person on the list daily. I add to the list as I hear about someone’s need for prayer. I edit my list based on information I receive about the improvement of people on my list and sometimes the lack of improvement. I strongly believe in prayer and know from my own experience that it is a powerful tool. It has been a useful tool for those who have prayed for me. It is my connection to my creator and the lifeblood of my spiritual being.

Although I don’t ascribe to the belief that you HAVE to go to church in order to have a relationship with God or to make it to heaven, I go to church. I attend regularly. That’s my choice. It is my way to engage in worship. It works for me. It is another tool I use to connect with my creator: God.

It is only natural for me during this pandemic to use the best tools in my toolbox to cope with my current situation. I find myself praying more. I enjoy attending church virtually on Sundays. Honestly, I think I like it better. I find myself attending several service on Sundays now. I visit my friends and family’s churches without leaving my house. How cool is that?

What I find interesting as I attend these virtual services is the position pastors take as it relates to leadership during this pandemic and in general. I hear various pastors and clergymen/women say things like, “we have to pray for our president” or “Pray for our nation”. Now, I agree we should be praying for our nation. We might even need to pray for our president. But what are we praying FOR? I’m pretty sure (and I have witnessed firsthand) that these pastors and clergy are leaving the pulpit and talking with their friends and families about how 45 is not fit to be president. They are talking about what a disaster he is and how evil he is. So why don’t they say that in the pulpit? Has their need for church membership and the financial benefit of membership clouded their ability to see what is right in front of their faces? Where are the faith leaders of the Old Testament that prayed against evil rulers and made no distinction between their evil practices and who they were as individuals?

Let’s just be honest with ourselves; 45 is EVIL. From pretending not to know who David Duke is, to calling Mexicans “rapists”, to seeing “very fine people—on both sides” in Charlottesville, to calling women “nasty” and referring to particular women as “dogs” and coddling dictators like Putin.  Please don’t forget him bragging about grabbing women by the pu**y even before the election. I could go on and on.

How, in the name of the God I serve, could an Evangelical Christian support such evil? How can any person who considers himself a Christian or person of faith not speak directly to the evil that sits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Even more chilling; how can Evangelical Christians support such evil?

Can you imagine how unhinged he will be between the election on November 3^rd and the inauguration on January 20^th? Too bad the Republican senate didn’t’ have the courage to remove him when they had the opportunity. I’ll never forget the words of Susan Collins of Maine when she said, “I think the president has learned his lesson”.  Really? Does she really believe that? Adam Schiff warned us at the time that he will do it again and even worse. I tend to fall in the camp of Adam Schiff.

 It’s time to be honest and call it what it is. It’s time to stand up against evil. Pray for our country? Absolutely. As we pray for our country, let’s pray that God will remove the evil from leadership just like he removed evil leaders in Old Testament days. He’s the same God. We have not because we ask not.