Saturday, July 18, 2020
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Carol Bauer
As you know, my wife, Carol, prepares a monthly prayer alert. I hope you will share Carol's thoughts with your friends and fellow worshipers. Thank you for taking an interest in her monthly devotion. --Gary
As I sit at our kitchen table looking at the yard and my lush flower garden (lots more time for that this Spring!) I am thinking back with fondness to the time we had last week with our grown children and six grandchildren.
Time in Washington's toxic environment can be physically and emotionally taxing, and if you are not careful, you can begin to think that this is the norm everywhere. A bit of time away from here was a good reminder that Washington is not Everytown, USA. And, it recharged us for the weeks and months ahead. We needed that since the daily headlines have not changed.
The daily news cycle seems to be on fast forward. Six or seven weeks ago, the country was wrestling with protests, riots, violence and destruction in many major cities in response to the brutal death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd.
The protests which started as a call for police reform quickly devolved into destruction, loss of life and livelihoods, lawless autonomous zones, destruction of historical and religious locations and statues and widespread anti-police demonstrations. Defund the police became the rallying cry, and saying "All Lives Matter" got you labeled as a white supremacist.
It felt like average citizens were in shock at the event that triggered it all and then frozen speechless as they watched the situation spiral out of control. Black Lives Matter leaders took to the airwaves with pledges to tear the system down and corporate America rushed to fund their efforts. Big city mayors seemed unwilling to confront the forces destroying their cities and so it continued.
In this short period of time, many cities have slashed funding for local law enforcement, arrested rioters have been returned to the streets and serious crime has skyrocketed. And now, each day we awake to more horrific crime figures. The number of children whose lives have been snuffed out is appalling.
These news events coupled with the coronavirus, the economic effects of the disease and the growing "cancel culture" movement seem overwhelming.
As you survey the cultural and political landscape, it is easy to feel helpless and discouraged. I get that. But what we see happening in real time is a stark reminder that each of us has opportunities in the coming months to add our voices to the chorus that will determine the future of the country.
It's been said countless times before that the coming election is the most important in our lifetime. Take it from someone who has been involved in politics since my teen years. That statement was never truer than it is today! But the chance to cast your ballot and be one of the tens of millions of voters who will determine the country's fate is almost four months away.
There have been many election cycles when differences between parties and presidential candidates were shaded, and though there were deep divisions there also appeared to be much common ground -- a love of country, a belief in religious freedom, support for law and order, innate optimism for the future and a can do attitude were among the ties that united us.
Today, even those shades of common ground are eroding fast. We are left with the question of what we can do in our personal lives and collectively as voters right now. I encourage you to find ways to express yourself, and in so doing encourage others to do so too.
- Proudly display your American flag at your home or on a car decal or on a tee shirt.
- Thank a policeman or first responder. My recent words of thanks to a stoic police officer caused his eyes to well up with tears.
- Support a local business targeted for its support of law enforcement.
- Participate in the Goya food "buycott" to express your opposition to the "cancel culture."
- Use these slower summer months to teach your kids or grandkids about American heroes and history, and applaud the efforts of those willing to sacrifice for the rights we have today.
- Buy an NBA shirt with the "Free Hong Kong" imprint.
- Contact your local paper or radio talk show to express your support for our national anthem and objecting to efforts to replace the Star Spangled Banner.
- Of course, I also hope you will support Gary's political efforts at Campaign For Working Families PAC to help elect more genuine servant leaders who will put America and our values first.
Use your ingenuity and circle of friends to create a new way to support religious freedom, free speech and law enforcement. Use your voice! The free and open exchange of ideas is being replaced by efforts to shut out or shout down opposing views. Pledge that this will not happen on our watch.
Here's an encouraging note: Did you know that Lee Greenwood's signature hit "God Bless the USA," which was released in 1984, topped Billboard's chart of digital downloads the week of the Fourth of July for the first time ever? You are not alone!
Lord, these are troubling times in our country and around the world. As individuals we remain strong in our faith and rest in the certainty that You are in charge. As believers we know the end of the story.
Yet, we admit that the societal chaos around us is disheartening, discouraging and downright scary. It feels like the foundations of civil society are being rattled to the core.
You have placed each of us here at this pivotal time in history. We are called to be faithful and trust in You in a society which has decreasing acceptance of your righteousness.
Give us strength to live a life of faith. Give us words to speak your love and fight for the rights of others to speak. Give us courage to stand up for values that will strengthen our country and make it a beacon of freedom.
Remind us that we have this life at this time in history to live a life of faith while taking actions that will ensure that others have opportunities to live and practice their faith in the future. Let us never forget that You are with us.
The church in America is in uncharted territory. Depending on the state, churches can or cannot physically meet, they may or may not be able to sing and attendees may or may not be required to wear masks or social distance.
Most churches have some form of online presence through which they continue to connect with their parishioners. We have always known that the church is not the structure itself but the people drawn together by a shared set of beliefs.
That said, there is no getting around the fact that physical fellowship and sharing in worship, music, communion and Bible study in a central location has been important to our faith. And for this season the church has been upended. Some churches are now meeting under restricted circumstances. Other churches have announced that they will not physically meet again until 2021.
Heavenly Father, we know that wherever there are two or three gathered together in Your name, You are there. This is such a comfort to us. We know Your son, Jesus, was an itinerant preacher with no fixed physical location for His teaching. And we acknowledge that there have been times when we placed too much emphasis on the physical church.
Lord, we ask for your guidance and insight as the church adjusts to these changing times. Open our eyes to how we can continue to connect in new ways. Guide church leadership so they may be very present in the lives of young people and continue to influence them in their everyday lives.
For those who are lost or lonely or feel isolated, guide Your church to meet their needs in these unique times. May this health challenge and the operational restrictions the church faces end up being a means for the church to be more personally and directly involved in the lives of others.
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Campaign for Working Families
PO Box 1222
Merrifield, VA 22116-1222
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