Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I'm Praying that We Will Avert the Next Civil War!

I'm Praying that We Will Avert the Next Civil War! This election has indeed been a groundbreaking event. There has been so much enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle as the reality that either the first Black, or the first Woman will soon grace the Executive Branch of our Government. This is a hard fought election, yet I feel like I am now hearing the sounds of discontent, the likes of which I have never heard before. The gap between the haves, and the havenots in this land is ever widening. Isn't it amazing that the average CEO of a major corporation now earns 262 times the average wages that his workers earn. The net worth of the richest 400 Americans in this land, is greater than the net worth of the next 150,000,000 Americans combined. Is there some form of universal injustice afoot here?

Well I am not trying to be a deep wonder on this one, but I feel like we are now sitting on a powder keg that is getting ready to blow. The winds of discontent in this land are so great. We have Black vs. White, Rich vs. Poor, and the winds of discontent are blowing ever so strongly as it relates to class in this land. I know so many that are so frustrated with the direction that our nation seems to be heading in. Are we entering an era that the level of discontent could launch us into a new Civil War? What can we do to avert it? If things don't go right on November 4 and this election somehow becomes a contested one, will we see revolt in our streets? We can not deny that there is extreme division in our land, and it doesn't take the firing of guns for us to enter into what some would call the New Civil War. Are we heading into a poor man's anarchy soon? Should we soon expect to embrace the next Civil War? Should the Church be on it's knees right now? Are we praying, or are we campaigning?

It is indeed amazing that The Body of Christ is so divided during this election. Nearly every prominent white televangelist has sent any black preacher that supports the Democratic Candidate to Hell. Why is the church so judgmental on this issue? How is my excitement over the Presidential Prospects of Senator Obama tantamount to me being an apostate of the Faith? Are the Mainstream White Churches of our land the only churches that possess the proper discernment as it relates to this election? Has the Black Church went to Hell in a Hand Basket? Well I beg to differ with either of those premises, because the Black Church has been vigilant on nearly every social issue in the last 50 years. We are not Hell Bound for supporting Senator Obama, and we will not fall for the Karl Rove tricks this time!

Many of the preachers on Trinity Broadcasting Network are becoming mini surrogates of the McCain Campaign. It is truly sickening for so many of them to have so much arrogance to pass judgment on Black America for being excited about Senator Obama! Well as ardently as they are trying to send the Black Church to Hell, they should sweep around their own front doors, and calm many of the loons we see at some of the McCain/Palin Rallies? The Church should be praying instead of judging! Let's pray that the church does its job in this land, and maybe we can avert another Civil War in our land!

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

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