INDIFFERENCE

(Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10)

In the year 1996, San Diego, California, GOP National Convention, General of the Army, later Secretary of State, Colin Powell gave the keynote address. I will never forget him emphasizing that we have become an “indifferent” nation, that the word concern is a lost word in most vocabularies. From the political podium to the pulpit, we have a theism of me-ism, whether the school child or the decorated veteran. Perhaps indifferent is being charitable, most people just don't care. Some will get out in the streets and protest, such as the Wall Street protesters, the thousands who march on Washington...nurses, tea party, etc. However, the 3,000 babies aborted each day do not have a chance to protest (1500 black babies when the population of America is only 13% black).

Recently it was announced that in many historical places in our nation, this July 4^th, there will be reading of the US Constitution and other historical papers throughout the day. The Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, a plethora of historical documents – books (4,000 on Abraham Lincoln alone) have been available for reading but evidently the reading is not the problem. The message gets lost somewhere between the optic chiasma of the eyes (the place in the brain where light impulses from the eyes are transferred the to neurons of the brain – CNS). The results of reading must impale the mind and heart if we are to see any results.

When Nehemiah and the 50,000 Jews he brought with him returned from Babylon and captivity to rebuild the temple destroyed along with the city of Jerusalem when the 560,000 captives were taken to Babylon, they gathered in the street, by the water gate, where Ezra in a pulpit, read the law to them as they stood, for seven days (Nehemiah 8). Did the reading of the law really do any good? Remembering the grandeur of Solomon's temple (still to this day, the greatest building ever built on earth) in the rubbish heaps of Jerusalem and the temple discouraged, the people finally just quit and did not build anything for 15 years. It took the prophet Haggai, his few messages (we only have a record of 4 sermons) to get the people back on track. What will it take to get the American people back on track?

This old blind veteran is still thrilled when he hears our National Anthem when he thinks of his ancestors, from the Good Ship Kent who landed in New Jersey, founding Morristown, 1755. I have a copy of the first land deed survey dated 1766 and signed by surveyor, Adonijah Peacock. Peacock furnished much of the ammunition for George Washington's army. What if they had not cared? We must find within our souls a reason to be concerned about every American citizen, regardless of their status in life. I still remember Dr. Poole, a dentist to whom my mother could take us because he only charged $2.00 for a visit. I was just a poor farm child, in his dentist chair, but he took the time to tell me about new developments in dentistry, a new type of “filling”. He had no idea who he had in his chair, that 80 years later I would still remember his concern. This man who had just a brief dental course made a difference in the lives of so many people. After his death, I remember telling his widow how he had affected the thinking of one young doctor, world traveler, Army officer, writer and speaker.

We cannot afford to be indifferent toward one another, particularly those of us who claim the name of Jesus. This Father's Day, my own doctor – son, thrilled me talking of his trips abroad, speaking before Baptists (Thailand). In an email, my eldest grandson, thrilled me talking of his recent ministries in Malaysia and Korea. This graduate in law, now in music, described the joy of Christians bringing the message of Christianity to them. He said that in Malaysia, everywhere there is a church, the Muslim government builds a Mosque. The intransigence of government in the persecution of Christians. Satan wants intransigence throughout the world. We find in Muslim countries, Sharia law, there is no tolerance at all for Christian witness (Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, etc.). The nations where so much American blood, treasure, talent, time has been spent are the worst.

An irritated intransigent Satan would like to demolition every Christian ministry – witness. The more liberal Christian churches become, the happier Satan becomes. Satan was real happy in 1963 when an indifferent Christian(?) people saw prayer removed from the school house. He was delirious with joy 10 years later, 1973, when babies could be aborted legally (55 million since 1973). Many denominations, churches, have become just country clubs with steeples. From the music, dress, language, commitment, church house no different from the dance hall – same crowd, appearance. Americans can no longer afford to be indifferent in Christianity or patriotism whether court house or your house. From 1799 until 1892, even the Supreme Court declared America a Christian nation. Look around you, listen to the news and you will see what indifference brings.