In the New Testament Gospel according to Matthew, in the fifth Chapter, we have a record of Jesus Christ’s well known Sermon on the Mount. Speaking to His disciples (and to us), Jesus first shares nine countercultural categories of persons who are truly blessed. We know these as the Beatitudes. And whom does He say are truly blessed? The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, and those who are reviled, persecuted and slandered on His account.
And then Jesus tells His disciples, at verse thirteen, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” Such an intriguing metaphor, “salt of the earth.” Webster defines this phrase as meaning an individual or group considered as representative of the best and noblest elements of a society. But Jesus had a more specific meaning in mind. I especially like Eugene Peterson’s rendition of this verse in “The Message.” It reads “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”
God flavors are the fruits of the spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self-Control. See Galatians 5:22. Then compare those with the acts of the flesh (verse 19): sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. Jesus knew that His time on this earth would be short, and He was going to entrust to all His disciples the completion of the mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all people groups on the face of the earth. To do that, they had to carry the Gospel while manifesting all the fruits of the spirit and have a distinctive, salt-like “flavor” that attracted all in their path. They had to live in stark contrast to the norms of the culture in which they served.
I am, like the Apostle Paul, a man who daily struggles between the desires of my flesh and the desires of the Holy Spirit who lives within me. Roman 7:14-25. I am certainly in no position to judge others or to be elevated in anyone’s minds as a Christian role model. In my 63 years as a follower of Jesus, I have crossed many dark valleys that are like seeds that still contaminate my brain cells. Only my continuing connection with God’s spirit enables me to overcome the magnetic attraction of those seeds, one day at a time. When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He included the prayer to “give us this day our daily bread.” Bread here is a metaphor for everything we need to sustain a fruitful Christ-centered life, not just food for stomachs but spiritual food for the heart, mind and soul.
But, notwithstanding my daily struggles, I am moved by the spirit to issue an urgent call to my white brothers and sisters who identify as evangelical Christians. REPENT while there is still time! President Trump is not some aberration, an evil man to whom you have linked your fortunes and deepest aspirations. No, he is a reflection of many of your own desires. Go back and review the fruits of the spirit. He evidences NONE of them. And the acts of the flesh? He evidences ALL of them except witchcraft and drunkenness.
BY IGNORING HIS OBVIOUS GODLESSNESS, YOU ARE AT RISK OF LOSING WHAT LITTLE IS LEFT OF YOUR SALTINESS. Yes, you were able to protect and grow your material wealth, preserve your rights to keep and display as many deadly firearms as you like, continue to marginalize the poor, the alien in your midst, the prisoners, the sick and racial minorities, throw a monkey wrench into national and global efforts to combat climate change, have Israel’s political capital moved to Jerusalem, remove impediments to pastors using their pulpits to advance political candidates and causes, and likely soon secure a conservative majority on the US Supreme Court. BUT AT WHAT COST?
Your self-centered merger of white supremacist American cultural norms with the Gospel of Jesus Christ has trashed the reputation of the American evangelical church and harmed the cause of Christ worldwide. You have significantly damaged the credibility and saltiness of any missionaries you send out into the world. As one who has lived and served the Lord in the Muslim world, let me tell you that there were already huge barriers erected to the Gospel, many based on the seriously flawed perception of the United States as a “Christian nation.” And now, after four years of your full embrace of a national leader who is the absolute antithesis of a Godly man, save your money. Don’t send many more American missionaries overseas. Receive Christian missionaries from the areas of the world where the Gospel in all its power is flourishing, including Africa, South America and Asia into your midst, and let God use them to bring you back to true Christ-centered values. Use some of your money to support indigenous believers who have been called to proclaim and live the Gospel in dangerous areas. Most can be sustained on less than $300 per month, compared to the multi thousands of dollars to equip, train, send and maintain an American who has to learn both a new language and a new culture.
A dear brother of mine recently shared a story of a well respected Southern Baptist Pastor who was in Romania meeting with and encouraging local Christian leaders. In a conversation with his local interpreter, he learned that there was no word for our term “commitment” in the local language. Where we say commitment, they say “surrender.” Well, the latter term is what Jesus calls His followers to do, to completely surrender our personal wills and plans to His. Of course, the Romanians and others in the region previously under the powerful influence of the former Soviet Union well understood surrender. That’s what they did, as a natural part of their becoming followers of Jesus. But surrender is simply not allowed in American libertarian culture. We like commitment. It is safe. It allows each of us to decide exactly how much control we want to retain, how much we want to commit. That’s as American as apple pie.
Absent a God inspired national awakening of the American church, a true revival accompanied by repentance and massive acts of service and reparations to those it has so successfully marginalized for so many generations, the so-called evangelical church in the United States will continue to decline and will die from a scarcity of Biblical salt. Something new will have to emerge, with new and Spirit filled leaders and multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-generational congregations of fully surrendered followers of Jesus, to replace the powerless, flavorless counterfeits that have led the Trumpian forces that have fractured any semblance of American unity and marginalized the very groups of people Jesus commanded them to love and serve.
I am way too old to worry anymore about offending my friends and family members, or anyone who finds this message offensive. Please do not waste your time arguing with me. Go to your Bibles and let the Holy Spirit show you if what I say is true. And for the millions out there who have rationally concluded that the evangelical church is full of hypocrites, racists and self-centered people, PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE JESUS BY THE ACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH!
He is LOVE. Sacrificial, unconditional and overflowing love. He receives all who turn away from their self-directed lives and surrender control to Him, living the balance of their earthly lives in His power and for His glory, and caring for those who are marginalized, hungry, hurting, angry and friendless. I pray that this message resonates in the hearts of all who read it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.