Is America at a Spiritual Crossroad?

It seems that almost everyday the news on television informs the viewing public just how very bad the economy is becoming; and there isn’t a clear answer for how to turn things around. There are record numbers of foreclosures on mortgages, the dollar is devalued against other foreign currency to historic levels, not to mention high unemployment, gas prices exceeding $4.00 a gallon, and the ranks of homeless people are swelling at unprecedented rates. In fact, the Consumer Price Index and the Consumer Confidence Index all show increasing pessimism in the midst of what appears to be ‘stagflation,’ that is, rising prices and with no net increase in jobs or GDP.

There are at least two schools of thought regarding the current situation in America. Some people look for a political solution to the mess we are in and believe that our elected officials at the state and federal level will pass legislation which brings back “the good ol’ days.” On the other hand, some economists, financial experts and business leaders think that this is just another one of those cyclical shifts in the ‘market’ and that the fundamentals of an eleven trillion dollar economy will be able to withstand any kind of temporary interruption and we will rebound like at other times since the “Great Depression” in the 1920’s.

There is another alternative point-of-view that needs to be given serious consideration. One needs to look for guidance which is beyond human reasoning and understanding, and this may be just one of those times. Over the many decades, America has gone from one of the most beloved and cherished countries to which is the most despised, feared and hated. Perhaps the arrogance, permissiveness, spiritual bankruptcy, and contempt for the ’rule of law’ when not in our national interests, have sown the seeds resulting in our national crisis.

In Romans 15: 4, the passage reads, “For whatever things were written before [in the past] were written for our learning, that we through the perseverance and comfort of the Scriptures (Old Testament) might have hope.” So, the prudent thing to do is look for some examples from the ancient Jewish sacred writings that would serve as a guide or provide ageless principles to a national dilemma for our modern times. The Children of Israel were blessed by God in both material and spiritual wealth but as soon as she prospered in abundance, she forgot all about God and turned away into idolatry, corruption (religious, moral), wickedness, and bringing upon herself all kinds of calamities. A wonderful passage is in Isaiah 1: 2-6, but specifically where it says . . . “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it. . .” In the book of Proverbs (14: 34), the Wisdom of Solomon says, “Righteousness Exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

What is lacking in most conversations is finding out how things are going so terribly wrong, although many individuals can point fingers and blame others for what hasn’t worked; but this is only after the facts are known; or using the common vernacular, ‘in hindsight.’ The road to recovery starts with a national call to repentance as recorded in II Chronicles 7: 14, which states: “If My people who are called by My Name [Israel, in this case], will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In Jonah 3: 1-10; 4: 11, the prophet was sent to utter a dire warning of impending doom to the 120, 000 people of the wicked city of Nineveh. The people, from the smallest to the greatest, including the king himself, took this unwelcome news so seriously that they repented, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes. Not only that, but the king decreed that each individual should make supplication to God separately to atone for the sin that each one has committed; besides those of the entire nation.

Of course there are those cynics who would vigorously resist such a proposal by saying that not only is it crazy but that it either violates the “Separation of Church and State” provision inherent in the Constitution of the United States, or it promotes a particular religious ‘Faith’ to the exclusion of any and all others. Certainly, no one wants to deny the practice of any religion sanctioned by ecclesiastical or secular authority, but rather to offer as a witness to the divine prerogatives in living in accordance with ancient history and cultural traditions. Lastly, the book of Ephesians sums up the ‘real’ cause of our problems that we aren’t even aware of, because, in 6: 12 it states, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 8, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com