A Prodigal Nation Can Return Home

[Note: Brushfires of Freedom is mostly about American politics, society and religion, and in about that order. But for many topics, the lines between these three are often blurred. Sometimes they are inseparable. Consider....]

About the only thing many Christian ministries seem known for these days is either (1) wholesale embrace of various leftist worldviews: the creed of global warming, the celebration and elevation of sexuality over spirituality, the cause of the tender Palestinians vs. the ruthless Jews, or whatever else NPR and the Huffington Post are spouting, or (2) wholesale surrender to various ‘end times’ prophecies. We don’t see true Christianity in either direction.

As to the surrender direction, we’re well aware of the dangers of nuclear war breaking out in the Middle East because of Iranian Islamic insanity, and we can readily acknowledge that one doesn’t need a doctorate in economics to see scenarios by which the current out-of-control government spending could lead to a collapse of the dollar and massive economic devastation. And we know the Bible contains many prophetic writings, some of which carry apocalyptic overtones.

But is the message of Christianity to surrender to these evils as inevitable? Is the message of Christianity that evil triumphs over good, or is it the opposite? Is Christianity about fatalism or redemption? What are Christians supposed to do—just put on a happy face, let evil proliferate and prevail, and wait for a next life where things won’t be so bad? Was any of this the message of Christianity as understood by the founding fathers of America?

Seems to us that every human generation faces mortal danger of one type or another, whether via wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, famine, droughts, plagues, etc. And the Bible is replete with stories of various peoples wandering from the First Commandment into some wasteland of multiple gods and amoral authorities. But Jesus told Pilate his purpose on earth was to bear witness to the truth, and Jesus further told his followers that they could know the truth, and the truth would make them free. The way of truth and freedom doesn’t seem very genuine if it comes with an obligation to be resigned to terminal prophecies.

Moses told his people he had set before them a choice between life and good, or death and evil. He told them to choose life and good, and gave them the rules for pursuing and living that choice. Jesus expanded on Moses’ teaching, talking about many of the same rules, and including what is probably his most famous parable: the parable of the Prodigal Son (See the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15, verses 11-24).

For those not completely familiar with the parable, the younger of two sons decides to take an early advance on his inheritance and make a break from his father’s home, and make his own way with his own rules. He blows everything with what the Bible calls ‘riotous living’, and ends up destitute, and eating with the pigs. He finally wakes up and decides to abandon his wayward lifestyle and made-up rules, and return to his father’s home. He’s welcomed by his father, and restored to his former place in life.

Nations are just amalgamations of people and their thoughts, and they can decide to break from their heritage and pursue their own rules and ways of living just as individuals can. And they can blow it all and end up with the pigs, too. But that doesn’t mean they have to stay with the pigs or be slaughtered with the pigs. They can wake up and go back home.

Home for Americans is the America of the founding: the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution which extol limited government, and honor, respect and support the smallest minority on earth: the individual child of God. Choosing to follow them is choosing life and good, and it is still a choice Americans can make. It’s not a choice that guarantees the end of all conflict or challenge; obviously, America’s founding initiated major conflict, and as long as America stands for the basic principle of individual freedom and responsibility under God, it will always be under attack by godlessness and governments of men but not of laws. But that’s no reason to give up or to give in to fatalism. It’s a reason to keep the faith, and step up and fight.

America can be the prodigal nation.

Paul Gable

July 14, 2010