Sunday, September 26, 2021
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary 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
The news montage of the last few weeks has been heartbreaking, frustrating and maddening. One story after another has elicited a range of emotions. Together it is easy to be drawn into a sense of hopelessness and helplessness.
A month ago, we watched in horror as our nation implemented a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan that was driven by a self-imposed deadline chosen by President Biden. You joined me in prayer for our military, our allies, Christian aid group employees, and the hundreds of thousands adversely affected.
Now it looks as if we evacuated tens of thousands of Afghans who were not properly vetted, while leaving hundreds of American citizens behind and also abandoning many who had fought alongside or were interpreters for American troops. Their fate is in the hands of the bloodthirsty and ruthless Taliban. Will we ever know what is happening to those left behind?
And yet, the news cycle has moved on. Do you wonder like me if the news cycle determines our national attention span or if our shortened cultural attention span is what drives the news cycle?
For the past ten days, the news focus has pivoted to our Southern border, and I use that term loosely. In a matter of days, a surge of immigrants, many originally from the island nation of Haiti, formed a shantytown of over 20,000 in Del Rio, Texas. The Biden Administration claims to be totally taken by surprise. It is hard to discern if this is total ineptness or an effort to deceive the American people.
Either way, our immigration system is in shambles, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers are demeaned and vilified for doing their jobs. American citizens and landowners feel abandoned by their government. The state of Texas has had to step in and fill the vacuum.
But, as I write, the numbers of what has happened there are becoming clearer. While some migrants have been returned to Haiti, many thousands more have been flown or bused to the interior of the United States. The words of federal officials who say, "Don't come. . . You will be turned back," ring hollow as the actions at the border do nothing but encourage more such mass illegal immigration.
These two dominant news cycles have been accompanied by other ever-present themes: rising inflation, continued COVID-19 troubles, mask mandates, labor shortages and a foreign policy that is in disarray. It can all feel overwhelming!
I've had friends ready to throw up their hands in hopelessness. I'm sure you have, too. "What can we do to make a difference," they ask. Some seem utterly defeated, and their quick refrain is that they have given up on this world and are just going to pray that Jesus would return. . . soon.
There are others who have always been hesitant to take a stand in the cultural and political battles that shape our country. They don't want to sully their hands in the world of politics. They are quite content to keep their faith corralled inside the walls of their church.
But these times require more of us.
To those feeling helpless, I would point out that the Lord has placed you here in the United States at a pivotal point in the 21st Century. He has equipped you to make a difference where you are in your family, neighborhood, church or profession. Are you exercising that influence?
To those hesitant to take a principled stand for Christian values in the culture, I would point out that the United States has long been a beacon of religious freedom and free speech. The American church has taken the lead in the world sending out missionaries and funding Christian aid.
If we do not fight in our own country to preserve our religious liberty and free speech rights, we could lose the opportunities we now have to impact the rest of the world. How short-sighted that would be!
Recent polling of the electorate indicates how dissatisfied our fellow Americans are with the direction of the country. Disenchantment is on the rise, and it knows no party bounds. Clearly, it is not only men and women of faith who are feeling this way.
But I have noticed a distinct difference this time, and I bet you have too. The energy, ingenuity, drive and focus for shining a light on what is wrong and setting about to change it has been dispersed to the local level. School boards, city councils, state legislatures, parental rights groups. . . this is where the impact of involvement is most visible now.
You see it everywhere. Young people in elementary school are testifying before school boards, or, student athletes or other high school and college students are speaking out when their rights to free speech are marginalized. Everyday Americans are showing up to honor the 13 Americans killed in Afghanistan in the waning days of our presence there. Small acts here and there are reaching critical mass.
We who are educated and engaged must step up, step out of the COVID fog, and join hands with others of like mind to make our voices heard. We need to commit to encouraging one another and look for ways to make a difference. Our courage and example will prompt others to join in where we live and where we can have an impact.
Every weekday Gary writes his "End of Day" report, highlighting what is happening in the world of politics, culture and in the faith community that will shape our country now and in years to come. I encourage you to use it as a prompt for discussions with others. Pass it along to broaden the influence of those who think like you.
Encourage others who are taking a public stand. Be quick to point out the important role we all have in shaping the country's future. Look for ways where you are to have an impact.
Just a few days ago, I was newly encouraged by a conversation with a longtime friend and supporter of Gary's work. She doesn't just sit back and bemoan where we find ourselves. She is active and vocal in her church, with her school board and with local businesses. She encourages others and offers to help them as they take the lead in areas where they have expertise. And, just as importantly, she has heart-to-heart conversations with her family. And all she does is bathed in prayer. What an encouragement!
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you feeling overwhelmed by where we find ourselves as a country. It is easy to give discouragement and helplessness free reign in our minds as we survey America in the fall of 2021. Give us the insight we need to recognize the truth of where we find ourselves but also the strength and wisdom to move beyond this place. It's easy to get stuck in the gloom and doom. May we leave that to others.
Dear Lord, open our eyes to the way forward for each of us. Prompt us to go to You for solace and comfort and then guidance and encouragement as we move beyond these immediate circumstances. Help us to have an open mind to what You would have us do. Keep us from wallowing in what we think we cannot do.
Dear God, sharpen our abilities, broaden our impact, bolster our courage. Help us to encourage others along the way. Remind us of our opportunities and responsibilities. When we have done our part, let us hear from You, "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant!"
