Rev. Don Campbell
Fixing America
After all is said and done, more seems to have been said than done: The New Deal, the Great Society, the War on Drugs, the Defense of Marriage Act, and other attempts to fix what is wrong with America, were noble in intent; but we were treating the symptoms, which is necessary for the comfort of the patient, but does not attack the disease at its source.
The first step in treating any disease is proper diagnosis. God diagnosed the disease of America (and every other culture) before it was born. Paul wrote: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them” (Rom 1:18-19, ESV).
Ungodliness precedes unrighteousness. When a nation becomes ungodly, unrighteousness spreads like a California wildfire. Paul’s list of unrighteous acts is headed by homosexuality (Rom 1:26-27). But before we say “Amen!” we need to look at the entire list:
“Their days are filled with all sorts of godless living, wicked schemes, greed, hatred, endless desire for more, murder, violence, deceit, and spitefulness. And, as if that were not enough, they are gossiping, slanderous, God-hating, rude, egotistical, smug people who are always coming up with even more dreadful ways to treat one another. They don’t listen to their parents; they lack understanding and character. They are simple-minded, covenant-breaking, heartless, and unmerciful; they are not to be trusted (Rom 1:29-31, The Voice).
Some “church people” see rudeness, egotistical smugness, heartlessness, and mercilessness as bold, tell-it-like-it-is stances for the truth. Their problem is the same as that of the homosexual: ungodliness.
I cannot do much to fix America, but I can, with the help of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, work on improving myself.
