History Does Repeat Itself

I recently heard a news person say, in quoting a survey, that less than 25% of graduating seniors this June 2011 cannot name the first American president. While some will consider this an indictment of the American public school system, as well as political lethargy brought about by a generation that has been raised on video games, I submit that the issue runs much deeper effecting the very core of our moral being and spiritual understanding.

As I have been reading "Bonhoeffer," by Eric Metaxas, I have been amazed and reminded as well, how the political and spiritual landscape in pre-Nazi Germany resembles our world and specifically, the United States today. As then, anti semitism is growing at an alarming rate world wide, but putting aside the "Jewish question," the sensing that we have lost our moral bearings and are in the process of trashing many spiritual foundations, are all pointing towards a social, economic, and political collapse that could be catasthropic.

One of the qualities that American Statesmen in times past possesed was the ability to make quality decisions in the present which had far-reaching consequences into the future. In times past, politicans were motivated by love of country and loyalty more than power and prestiege. Sure, there were scoundrels then as well as today, but it didn't seem that every 3-4 weeks some elected official fell from office do to poor judgment and behavior. This generation has been observing and in many ways has been turned off all the while our political system and Democracy are mocked at home and by world governments.

It wasn't always this way. George Washington, who by the way was our first President, (if you were wondering...just kidding), laid his life on the line and threw himself in with a "rag tag" rebel army, because he had a vision for the future; Washington saw the future and was willing to risk everything for it. Lincoln knew that the Emancipation Proclamation would lead to deep divisions, but Abe wasn't running in a popularity contest but directing this nation to live up to it's claims that all men were created equal.

God is speaking to the church in America to wake up and redirect this nation out of the swamps of indifference and false security, into the great calling and mandate that, from Bunker Hill to Gettysburg, from Normandy to South East Asia, and from Baghdad to the mountains of Afghanisthan, has been granted us by God.

We must pray, like never before, for the Holy Spirit to raise up Godly men to govern this nation-men motivated by integrity and not the latest CNN poll; men who are not trying to influence those polls but impact history. These will be men and women who care more than just meeting the status quo but have a Godly Plan recieved through Divine vision.

Someone once said that, " a true politician cares only about the next election, while a true statesman, cares about the next generation." Let it never be said about our generation that we looked for the "easy way out" but that we were willing to make sacrifices that future generations might enjoy the freedom that we have and not someday pay for our short sightedness, because we didn't want to be bothered. Too many have made the supreme sacrifice already for us to not honor their sacrifice.

As we have just celebrated Memorial Day and are approaching July 4th, we must be reminded that "Freedom isn't free." It is not that our schools are that bad or this generation has it's priorities all wrong, but rather our nation is starved by a shortage of Godly men and women at the political and spiritual helm who can inspire us again to Greatness and Vision. "Bonhoeffer" has brought into a clarity and perspective what happens when tyrants and maniacs are given center stage because the church decided to stay home and do nothing.

In the time remaining before Jesus' soon return, we must become again that "city set upon a hill, doing all that we can to bring revival to America and be a continued beacon of hope to the suffering world wide.