Wow, the changes in the political news in just two days has been amazing. We had two candidates suspend or drop out of the race to the White House for now. I'm not sure it doesn't mean something is afoot for later. It just makes life interesting.
Tomorrow May 5th is National Day of Prayer for our nation. We are all urged to pray for our country and for it's ongoing challenges related to everything, Economic, Employment, Deficit, Campaigns, ISIS, Flooding, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, Global Warming, etc. Each of those items could fill a whole day of prayer. Maybe you ought to spend some time on each of them. Our country can sure use a fresh fall of Grace & Mercy from God in the midst of everything right now.
My campaign for Congress revealed how far we have fallen from the days, if ever, of real civic pride and good citizenship. We have lost a sense of the greater good, and the willingness to put aside our own agenda for the greatest cause. I sense our parents and grandparents knew that during WW2, and were willing to sacrifice to bring our country victory. I think the sixties blew that away, and we are now very individually focused and find it very hard to relate to someone else, not in our immediate family.
I urge you to be in prayer for our country. Someone mentioned to me that we were in need of a major revival nationwide. Church attendance is down, giving is down, public service volunteering is down and many other doing for others activities have greatly reduced in size and benefit to our community. How do we make this better. Even going to the polls to vote has been declining over the years and we need much more involvement and less criticism. I want to tell people, a nasty streak in me, that if you didn't vote, you can't complain, period. Just stop right there and don't say another word until you can show me your I voted sticker. Wouldn't that shut a lot of people up.
We do need a revival. We need to recover a sense of value at being a citizen of this great nation. We need a revival of care for and investment in what is right and good and helpful to one another. I prayed the prayer of St. Francis a lot during the campaign in preparation for debates and forums and meet and greets. "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; were there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning, that we are pardoned; and it is is dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen."
We need a revival of that kind of attitude. It would make the country so much better. When a tornado strikes a community, all of the neighbors seem to pitch in and help. People from all around come to the rescue. Why does it stop when the wind dies down, and the debris has been cleaned up?
The challenges of leading this country are great. It will take someone with a great vision for making this kind of work happen to help us move forward. So please pray for that all day tomorrow. And don't stop after the National Day of Prayer is over. Keep it up.
I am sure praying for our country, I hope you do too.
Pastor Jeff
