We need the Lord

Winslow: Is this the most corrupt period in American history, Carmen?

Carmen: It just might be, Winslow.

Winslow: What should we do?

Carmen: For starters, we could make America honest again!

Winslow: And Plan B?

Carmen: I think we're doing it...

I saw a comic strip online a few days ago from the comic, Prickly City, with the above dialogue. It prompted me to write a blog post, because it conveyed a message that spoke urgently to my spirit. Scott Stantis, its creator, is sort of a political cartoonist at heart, which is reflected in his strip. His two primary characters are Carmen, a liberterian (and a human), and Winslow, a Democratic voter (and a coyote). They somehow live in the desert Southwest of the United States. Stantis attempts to play these characters off each other in a humorous jab at how the two major sides of both politicians and voters in the U.S. spar with each other over politics.

Although the strip has been around for almost 20 years, it seems that only recently has it taken a more depressing turn, focusing on deeper fundamental topics (both on a values level as well as on a basic human understanding level) that not even just a few years ago, we would not have thought we would ever have had to face.

Even before I became a conservative, I knew America was slipping, and had been for a while. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew that something was wrong. It was as if I could sense a large difference between the events that were current even 20 years ago, as well as how our country was responding to them, compared with events from, say, the Civil War era. Or the World War II era. Yes, there was sin and there were atrocities both then and now, but how people responded and carried themselves were far different from how people were starting to respond even 20 years ago, let alone now in 2023.

Although I fully recognize that this is a comic strip meant to provide comic relief and not necessarily solutions to problems, one thing I disagree with Stantis is, along with other folks I've read, is that I believe we are now at a point where to fix our country requires looking beyond ourselves. For generations we believed that our country would right itself because it always had. Even now with 2023's current events, there are many people (including Christians) who still believe this idea that America can be fixed strictly by using original American ideals to fix itself.

I disagree because when I read the Bible about God's chosen nation, Israel, over the generations, especially in the period between King Solomon's reign and King Zedekiah's reign, the only time Israel ever got better was when the king in charge stripped all the altars, offerings, and customs of the false idols and false gods to whom these things were honoring, in favor of restoring the temples, altars, and customs designed to honor the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and Moses, Samuel, and David among others). During those times Israel (and Judah) had peace, and even when unrest threatened to happen, or when other nations threatened to invade, because they were following the One true God, He protected them. It was only when Israel (and Judah) strayed from God and started praising and worshipping other gods, that they lost their protection and favor.

Ever nation that has ever existed, even nations who at one point were havens for Christians and had an abundance of good churches, have had rises and falls in terms of their power, favor, influence, etc.

As far as I'm concerned, America needs to take lessons from Israel and turn back, because it is now too late for us to rely solely on American-only ideals and American-only values to get us right. It is now too late to "trust in the American people" to get us back on track, because, well, as the last few years have shown, a lot of our people are deceived, too.

We need the Lord.

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV