National Responsibility

                                                            National Responsibility

    I opened my phone and saw the Fox News update about another shooting. My soul ached, retreated and I tried to find a way to pretend that it wasn’t real and I really wasn’t awake. But, yes it was happening again. Another shooting, another senseless loss of lives, another tragedy cruelly overtaking innocent families and individuals. One moment the victims in the nightclub were experiencing their normal and the next second they were running for their lives and spiraling into a hell on earth. Some lived and some died and some are wounded forever. The soul and psyche od America are wounded again.  This nightmare of a bloodbath was cruelly carried out by a calculated killer on the loose, slaughtering with reckless abandon and vehemence. It is real again, more suffering.          

                                         When will we be free from this kind of blood-shed?

   

      Amos from the bible was a farmer and herder. He did good work. He was called by God to express God’s divine displeasure with his countrymen. He had visions and those visions told a story of impending punishment and a day of accountability on the way, like a slow train crossing a prairie in the distance, you can see it coming silently, then detect it audibly and then it is thundering in front of you, on you, before you .

        

    By all accounts Amos’s neighbors were callous, some dark hearted, many prosperous and, by ritual, religious. There were the faithful few I’m sure who were on their knees pleading to heaven for change…change was coming, but not what was expected. Funny how that happens. How the country got so dark wasn’t the concern of Amos. Telling the honest truth saying was.

  

     Growing figs and raising sheep was easier by far for Amos than being a prophet. But he was a good man and did what he thought he was supposed to do. He didn’t mind the price he might pay for honesty. Being truthful mattered more.  His words were honest and straight forward,  just the kind of words most of the people he was speaking to didn’t want to hear. His message was lovingly fierce and like a well flown arrow with a point that should be taken seriously. Israel was failing its national responsibility.  His words stung like windswept wasps stinging the conscience of the preoccupied masses and corrupt elite.  His from words birthed in visions are written down for Israel, America, every nation and for all eternity:

                                   You push away every thought of coming disaster,
                              but your actions only bring the Day of Judgment closer.

                                 How terrible for you who sprawl on ivory beds
                                          and lounge on your couches,
                               eating the meat of tender lambs from the flock
                                  and of choice calves fattened in the stall.

                                 You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp
                           and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David.

                                            You drink wine by the bowlful
                                 and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions.
    

                             You care nothing about the ruin of your nation.

     

     Amos has just delivered the mail to both the powers that be and to the citizenry of his country. In short he says, you don’t care about your heritage, the safety of your people or anything but your own selfish interests. Pleasure and easy living is your focus. If the country falls apart you just don’t care.

         In Amos’s visions it is a sure thing that God was asking for people to exercise national responsibility. He wanted them to have a heart and a conscience and to be their brother’s keeper. To flesh this out it meant that everyone had a role in the healing or destruction of the nation. Passivity is punishable. Some make their city consciously better while others were letting evil prevail by their malignant neglect of their city and nation causing injury to their populace.

                              Passivity fosters destruction as much as negative behaviors.

      

     In Orlando an evil premeditated crime against humans took place. You didn’t do it and I didn’t do it. But my bigger and more sober thought is this: 

          What is my responsibility to the city I live in to see that this type of tragedy does not occur? I am my brother’s keeper?  

The words of John Donne come to mind:

     

“Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”

― John Donne, Meditation XVII - Meditation 17

      If, like John Donne, I am involved in mankind how then do I help exercise my national responsibility to care about the condition of my land? Could I be someone who identifies or exposes a tyrant with an evil murderous plan like the Orlando shooter? What could happen if national responsibility was a lifestyle and each individual took personal interest in relating to more than a select few friends? What if the work of the FBI, CIA and local police could be bolstered by citizens doing just a little more to know and care about the people who are their neighbors?  Here are some possibilities I’m thinking of:

·         What if we build real relational bridges to Muslim’s and others who immigrate to our country so that we have much larger relational circles and influence in them?
       
      Can we engage Muslims and others in objective conversation and exercise acts of kindness to them as human brothers, family and new friends?    
      
      Could we get to know their religion, culture and their way of life? BTW, I found there are dozens of references to Jesus in the Koran, so many so, that in countries where the bible is banned the Koran is a Christian tool for evangelism. Shocked? I was too! Here is a link to the North American Mission Board and its fine work. https://www.namb.net/apologetics/a-comprehensive-listing-of-references-to-jesus-isa-in-the-qur-an)   
      
      American holidays are venues for open houses and friendship building. 
      
       Become very serious about your national responsibility to care for the well-being of your city and nation. It begins right on your street, eh?

 

    God cares about every nation of the world. He cares about America. The words of Amos are there for learning and application today.

 

              Personally: I believe in the goodness of God being manifested in increased national peace through the sacrificial love and attention to new relationships fostered by caring people toward the nations of the world living within our borders. I also believe that discernment will be given to people to know when someone of any culture intends to do harm to others and in their ability to do their compassionate responsibility to expose suspicious activity . 

     Will we be chastened like Israel of old for national neglect? Or, can we rise to a new level of national responsibility and intentionally,  personally,  make a change in our city's by going out of our way to get involved in the lives of new people? 

                     For me it is a simple answer, I live here, America is my home

        and I’m responsible for the well being of my street, neighborhood and nation.

                                                        

                                                               Smile

                     “Good day, what is your name, where are you from, welcome.”