The Day After Election Day
Prayer, Anyone?
By: John Stonestreet|Published: November 9, 2016 6:00 AM
The election is over. So what do we do now? Exactly what Chuck Colson recommended the day after the 2008 election.
Whoever you voted for yesterday, Chuck Colson has a few words of
wisdom for you, words () he spoke after the presidential election in 2008.
Please listen closely:
Whether you’re recovering /from your all-night celebration or drying
the tears from your pillow, today’s a good day to remember the words of
the apostle Paul:
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone
—for kings and all
those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all
godliness and holiness”
(1 Timothy 2:1-3).
Chuck went on /to point out that the next president would face
enormous challenges.
First among them back in 2008 was what is now
called the great recession.
Now dare I say that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump (and as I record
this I don’t know who won the election) face even greater challenges?
Ninety-four million Americans are not in the workforce—more than ever
before. The nation is in the grip of a heroin and painkiller epidemic //
that’s destroying lives across the country. [To say () racial tensions are
high] is an understatement. Domestic terrorism and cyber attacks threaten
us daily.
And there’s a real effort /to push religious and moral conviction /out
of the public square, and enshrine in law a dehumanizing vision of
sexuality and identity.
Overseas,
ISIS fights on. Vladimir Putin and Communist China thumb their noses/ at
the U. S. in Eastern Europe and the South China Sea. Iran continues to
violate the ill-conceived nuclear deal and openly provokes and threatens
our military forces /in the Persian Gulf. Waves of Muslim refugees
continue to swamp Europe.
And yes, the new president and the country need our prayers.
But how have we gotten to this point? Well, once again, here’s Chuck Colson:
I can only think of what Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said /about the
catastrophic consequences of the Russian revolution. ‘I recall,’ he
said, ‘hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation
/for the great disasters //that had befallen Russia: Men have forgotten
God; that's why all this has happened.’
Solzhenitsyn was right. Indeed, I can’t find any better explanation /
for why we Americans find ourselves /in the state () we’re in. We have
forgotten God.
We’ve also forgotten that American democracy —indeed western
civilization itself— is the product of the Judeo-Christian understanding
of God and humanity. Without that revelation //that man is created in the
image of God, our founders never would have recognized the unalienable
rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Indeed, as I and
others like Rodney Stark have argued, modern science and education,
liberal democracy, capitalism—all flourished in western civilization /
precisely because of the Judeo-Christian worldview.
The attacks on Christianity these days are only going to intensify /in
the months ahead. But we must press on /all the more /to make a winsome
witness. [Those //who would banish Christianity from American life] are
risking the very survival of American society.
*unalienable/inalienable; unable to be taken away from or given away by the possessor.
Again, Chuck voiced these words /eight years ago, before the Supreme
Court imposed so-called same-sex marriage
/on the nation, before
Christian businesses would be forced to conform with sexual absolutes or
be fined to the brink of bankruptcy, before the attempt to force
Christian organizations—including nuns—to pay for abortifacients and
contraceptives.
So in other words, culturally, things are even worse today. So what now? Let’s give Chuck the final word on that.
So this is no time for Christians to go into the bunkers . . .This is
a time for the Church to get serious about Christian discipleship.
Enough cheap grace.
So pray for the new president .... But most of all, brothers and
sisters, this is a time to love our neighbors and hunger for God and His
righteousness.
Further Reading and Information
The Day After Election Day: Prayer, Anyone?
As Chuck urged, let us pray for our nation’s leaders, that they, as
well as we, will hunger and thirst for God, love our neighbors, and walk
in righteousness.
Resources
The Day After: Pray for Our President and Our Nation
Chuck Colson | BreakPoint.org | November 4, 2008