“In the United States, the Christian Left does not seem to be so well-organized or publicized as its right-wing counterpart. Opponents state this is because it is less numerous. Supporters contend that it is actually more numerous but composed predominantly of persons less willing to voice political views. Further, supporters contend that the Christian Left has had relatively little success securing widespread corporate, political, and major media patronage compared to the Right.”
Isn’t it time for this to change? It’s time we stand up as a community and express our political views. Look what happens when we don’t. We can’t depend on outside support. We have to support ourselves from within. We can’t let The “Christian” Right speak for us any longer. The results have been catastrophic.
God makes it abundantly clear through the OT Prophets, through Jesus and through many New Testament writers like James (brother of Jesus) that we are to defend the weak and the oppressed. We are to speak up for those with no voice. We are to care for the poor, the sick, the homeless, the hungry, the oppressed, the incarcerated, and basically anyone who lacks fundamental necessities or rights. These are not instructions intended only for individuals. God gets very upset with nations, city-states and kings who ignore these requirements throughout the OT.
As a country we are about to throw all of the people God demanded we protect under the bus. The programs these people rely on to survive are about to be handed to Wall Street or gutted and decimated. All of this will be thanks to Republican party policy. We're about to hand rich oppressors big rewards and tell the least of these they are on their own. If anything ever brings the wrath of God down on our nation it will be this. We’ve been warned by history so many times, and yet we always seem to re-build the golden calf.
You would think Christians would be gearing up to stand in the way of all this. Such is not the case. Sadly, purveyors of deceit have managed to equate Christianity and right-wing ideology as one and the same in a majority of “Christian” minds. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell will now operate at the speed of light to get their agenda pushed through. It is now more important than ever for this ministry and this community to survive and thrive. We must remain a lighthouse on a hill as the perfect storm gathers.
This week a top House Republican introduced a bill to gut Social Security. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, said he wants to privatize Medicare. Republicans want to 'Block Grant' Medicaid to the states, which would dramatically reduce health care for the poor. They say they want to erase Obamacare on day 1. All of Trump's cabinet picks want to destroy the very thing they would be in charge of.
This is a wholesale abandonment of the least of these and a massive sell-off of the government to Wall Street. Trump will do whatever gains him the most praise from those who surround him, which will be far-right henchmen.
Who is going to speak up about any of this? The alleged "Christians" in this country won't. They're cheering all this on. It looks like we have to step up. If we don't, who will? We should all view this opportunity as a blessing. We get to have the privilege of engaging in the Lord's work!
Now is the time to stand strong, with a new resolve, or it will get much worse. Now that right-wing extremism has grown stronger we must all stand in the gap, especially given that most “Christians” now accept it as their core ideology. In the present darkness, we must increase the light. We must speak up now more than ever: Right-wing ideology and the teachings of Jesus are opposite in nature. They can’t be reconciled on any level.
