Just trying to keep up with the news can be depressing. Not because of the disasters and wars and tragedies that happen. Those are bad and often heartbreaking. But the real distressing thing is the people in the news.

          Last week we were treated to an image of a comedian (rather, sort of a comedian) holding a stage prop resembling the severed head of the President of the United States. The Secret Service investigated to determine if this was a death threat to the president. The most liberal of news agencies, CNN, had the decency to terminate a contract they had with this sort of comedian. Others whom she thought would applaud her wit and wisdom were shocked and distanced themselves from her. Of course, the conservative media ripped her to shreds. The president tweeted a short message (this tweet was pretty mild, but oh my, I wish he would quite tweeting) that condemned the action, saying it affected his children. The comedian held a press conference and said it was over the top, but now the president was trying to ruining her. She ran a bloody picture of her holding the severed head of the president and they she says he is trying to ruin her. Some of her friends are finally coming forward to support her, now that the president is trying to ruin her career. Of course, he isn’t. He actually has other things to do that he considers more important than dealing a woman who has an inflated notion of her own importance. She crossed a line that even others like her don’t cross and her few friends who are standing up for her are just basically saying “go girl” and then darting back into the shadows.

           There are dozens and dozens of stories out there that illustrate this disturbing trend in Americans. There was the woman who needed to run into the store for a few minutes. Rather than take her kids in with her or leave them in the car where some do gooder would likely report her, she put her children in the car’s trunk. When the last election was over people rioted over the results, destroying property, looting and injuring people to express their dissatisfaction over their compassionate candidate losing. And, of course, when the compassionate candidate could have simply asked for calm and calm would have ensued, she instead encouraged the acts of violence. People climb into cars and run people down, Since the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan began in 2002, 1,834 U.S. service personnel have been killed there by hostile action. We all agree that it is too many. During the same time frame, 7,693 people have been murdered in Chicago alone, and that is without the totals for 2017 being in, yet. Unless you live in Chicago, no one gives that a second thought.

          There are lots of reasons given for our declining society. Politicians are at fault. Hollywood is at fault. Universities are at fault. Foreign influence is at fault. Anything you don’t personally like is at fault. But all this craziness can be laid at one doorstep.

          Christianity is at fault.

          I remember prayer in school. I remember when abortion was not only illegal, it was shameful. I remember being taught in public school to respect the police and military and the flag under which they all served. I remember when people might criticize the president, but you left his family out of it. I remember when men removed their caps at a ballgame when the national anthem was played and EVERYONE stood up. I remember hearing Martin Luther King’s “I Had a Dream” speech and thinking in my white boy’s mind, “Yeah, that’s right!” What does all of that mean? Two things; one, I am moving along in years and, two, it was a long time ago that the country had a moral compass. We have slid down a long and slippery slope and it is because Christians have dropped the ball.

          Oh, we will march against abortion, which does no good. We will rally for politicians, which only gets us sorry leaders. We will join in to try and legislate morality, which is always a failure waiting to happen. Our churches are dying, so we try to liven up the services. People say the preaching and teaching is boring, so we tweak the style of delivery. People say they don’t like dressing up for church, so we say “come as you are.” People say church is too long and we meet to often, so we cut back. Is the country becoming more moral? Are the churches filling up? Is it, then, God’s fault?

          In the early part of this country’s existence it was commonly said, “as the church goes, so goes the country.” Of course, we wouldn’t say that now. In the past, society was a reflection of the church. Now, the church has become a reflection of society, with all its dirt and filthiness.

            2 Chronicles 7:14-15---If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

          I know. You’ve read it before. But, it doesn’t say if the leaders or the actors or the foreign nationals or the schools humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways…….No, it says if MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME. It is all on us, the believers, the Christians. We need to change our ways, we need to make God the priority, we need to KNOW and UNDERSTAND that we have an obligation.

          It will save both our nation and our churches.