Jesus is always the answer.
Dewey, This is a current events piece on Baltimore with what I believe is God’s call for immediate activity by the Church together to deal with the issues which caused the riots. Post it if you wish – when you wish. I sincerely believe that it is God’s message to the Church – and in saying so I am merely the messenger – I am not saying I have any great wisdom. I believe that this is God speaking – not me. David Maddox
WE’RE THE ANSWER:
President Ronald Reagan famously said at his First Inaugural Address, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Nowhere is that been demonstrated to be true more than in Baltimore these past weeks. For over forty years that city has been under the control of leaders who believed more government was the answer to the city’s racial and economic problems. Now we see the fruit as the anger from a generation with no hope – no jobs – nothing to live for – vents it’s frustration over the police situation involving Freddy Gray and rejoices over the indictments of the police officers involved. But in the process – and even as they celebrate – they have only made their life worse by destroying the businesses of innocent owners (most of whom are minorities), and further damaging the infrastructure of an already failed city.
Baltimore once was a prosperous city of almost a million. Now 23% live below the poverty line and since 1950 a third of the population has simply abandoned the city for other places where there are jobs and opportunities. The “more government” crowd is calling for a national police force – and for more government assistance. That is a dangerous formula for more of the same with a real threat of totalitarianism. What then is the answer? How can the races live in peace and actually come to love one another? How can there be a real hope for the future in a city where the people are fleeing because they have no hope?
Look in the mirror Christian – we are the answer – the only answer. Consider how Baltimore and other cities can be changed by the Church simply being what Jesus called us to be. At Time to Revive as we have gone out in cities across the country we always seem to end up ministering in – and going out from the most violent – drug ridden – poverty infested – racially angry neighborhoods. In some cities we have gone were they will not even deliver the US Mail for fear of violence. Yet as we have gone we have not experienced violence even when our presence breaks up drug deals. I want to share some of what we have learned in those neighborhoods because I believe that God is saying this is the way – follow Me now.
As we go out we seek to love on people and hear their heart so we ask them how we can pray for them. We know that of ourselves we don’t have the answers – we don’t even know what the problems these people face are, but we need to know. As issues are revealed we seek not only to pray but to look for how God would lead us to respond – and obviously if possible we want to share the Gospel and begin the discipleship process. In one major city the Lord led me to add a question, “What can the local church do for you?” How can we Christians help make you life better? The response was amazing. The honestly with which they shared and the clear needs they described opened my eyes to real possibilities. The single most significant cry was the same. “Please – we need a safe place for our children after school.” Think about that. What if white churches actively sought to partner with black and other racial minority churches in minority neighborhoods to bring resources, including people, to meeting this need – and in the process not just to “baby sit”, but provide Christian training, counseling and love to a generation without Dads for the most part. I know of several churches in other cities that have done this and partnered on many different things to benefit the people who truly need a hand – all in Jesus’ name. How would Baltimore’s youth have responded to the current situation had they had 40 years (generations) who had experienced Jesus’ love in a racially mixed setting rather than simply government assistance? They would have had someone to talk with – they would have had someone of a different color who loved them and helped meet real needs – they would have learned how Jesus would respond to this crisis.
I believe that God is saying to His church – white – back – brown – etc. it is time to be the Church together and together to go out into these neighborhoods to talk and listen and love and then together to respond as God leads. We cannot ignore this generation of young racial minorities. We cannot surrender lives and souls to the government or live in our “white world” ignoring their world. We must do this together and we must do it now.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.
