If . . . Then

The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers saying,
'Go to this people and say,
"You will keep on hearing, but will not understand;
and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
for the heart of this people has become dull,
and with their ears they scarcely hear,
and they have closed their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart
and return,
and I would heal them."
(Acts 28:25-27)


From time to time,
like this time,
I stand bewildered
at the erosion of freedoms
known in our nation

since its birth
on bloody fields like

Bunker Hill
Yorktown
Concord and Lexington
Cowpens
and
Oriskany.

And people now

wring their hands
as leaders capitulate
to deals
and threats
and promises
and power.

And I remember Isaiah
and Israel,
and St. Paul
and America.

Could it be
our loss began
in the bloody hands
across our land
in which millions
of innocents

were dismembered
and suctioned
into vacu-tainers

in the name of freedom
and choice?

Fifty million . . .

while few
among those who call Jesus
Savior
Lord

who saw without perceiving

who heard without understanding

whose hearts became dull

who said little
did little

to stop the incredible
wickedness.

And we wonder
God is deaf
to our prayers
for restoration
of freedom
and independence.

Yet

and only because of God's

incredible

grace
it remains true:

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,
will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:13-14)