Check Your Moral Compass

TITLE: CHECK YOUR MORAL COMPASS

SCRIPTURE: II CHRONICLES 7:14 / II CHRONICLES 33:10-16 / II KINGS 23:26-27 /

II KINGS 21:16

The events in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend highlighted racism and fear are still present in our country and communities. The carrying of Nazi flags is evil. That flag is a symbol of an evil, failed state that brutally killed more than six million Jews and countless Romani people, homosexuals and others judged to be inferior.

• Those who sacrificed their lives in World War II defeated that evil

• It truly is un-American to carry the flag for an evil dictatorship that our country defeated

• Gospel correctness calls out “evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves”

• I am appalled at the silence of the Presidents Evangelical Council that apparently doesn’t understand this basic Biblical Principle

• Apparently the Presidents now defunct Advisory Council

• Apparently the Presidents now defunct Committee on the Arts and Humanities

• Apparently the Presidents now defunct Manufacturing Council

• All have a better Moral Compass than this Evangelical Council that is supposed to understand the heart of God

I WISH I COULD SAY THAT RACISM IS OVER. I WISH I COULD SAY IT WAS BUT A PASSING ELEMENT OF OUR LIVES. However, racism has existed for a long time. In most of President Trump’s un-presidential moments, he speaks when he should remain silent.

• On Saturday, as Nazis and White Supremacists – many dressed and armed as militias – brought down havoc and death upon Charlottesville, Va. - Trump committed the opposite sin

• He did not say what need saying

Our nation has an unfortunate history with white supremacy. Our founding creed declared that “ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,” but it took much bloodshed for us to finally live up to that. Now, though, we do try to live up to our founding and belief that no race is superior to others.

• The idea of white supremacy also has no place in science

• We may be of different skin colors, ethnicities, heights, widths, eye colors and genders

• But we are all part of the same human race

• Out of the womb we are all equal, and equally in need of care

Theologically too, the idea of a superior race is anathema to our Judeo-Christian heritage. GENESIS 1 makes clear that all of us are created in God’s image and likeness. To claim one race is superior to others is a sin against God, and Christians in the United States must forcefully condemn this even if this President does not. I challenge us this morning - Check Your Moral Compass.

Don’t get me wrong this morning I LOVE MY COUNTRY AND SERVED MY COUNTRY IN THE ARMED FORCES. Only 2% of all Living Americans are serving or have served in the Armed Forces. I have been around the world. Lived in PANAMA 3 years – Lived in FRANCE 2 years – Lived in GERMANY 3 years – Lived in BELGIUM 4 years and have visited numerous countries. So I can unequivocally say - I love the United States of America and I feel tremendously blessed to be a citizen of this land! There is so much that is special about our country. For instance, someone wrote --

• Only in America are there handicap parking spaces in front of a skating rink

• Only in America do we buy hot dogs in packages of 10, and hotdog buns in packages of 8

• Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance

• Only in America do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a DIET coke

• Only in America do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions, while healthy people can buy their cigarettes at the front

• Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our junk in the garage

Some of you may remember GEORGE CARLIN - a comedian who died in 2008. He was foul mouthed and I did not agree with much of what he said, however; there were times when he was serious. And in one of his serious moments he wrote what he called, “THE PARADOX OF OUR TIME.” I would have called it “Check Your Moral Compass” -- Listen to a part of it:

• The paradox of our time in history is that:

• We have taller buildings - but shorter tempers

• We have bigger houses - but smaller families

• We have more conveniences - but less time

• We have more degrees - but less common sense

• We have more knowledge - but less judgment

• We have more experts - yet even more problems