I’m old enough to have lived through the riots and burnings following the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, as well as the chaos in the streets at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968, and the Rodney King riots in L.A.; but I never felt our nation was in peril until the past few days. Peaceful protests over the brutal murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer have been commandeered by a well-orchestrated group of anarchists who are intent on raping and pillaging our cities. The brutal beatings of shop owners protecting their livelihoods, not to mention the deliberate shooting and killing of police officers, is as vile as what that bad cop did to George Floyd, but where’s the outrage?

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And where is the protection citizens have a right to expect from their elected officials? It is the responsibility of government to protect its citizens and their property. Romans 13:4 declares, “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he (the authorities) does not bear the sword for nothing.  He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Unfortunately, our elected leaders have failed miserably in the last few days in this regard, causing irreparable harm to many. Let us pray they will find the wisdom and courage to stop the violence.

So what can we do as individual believers and as citizens?

As believers our first responsibility is to intercede.

At its roots this conflict is spiritual, a clash between good and evil. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12). Jesus tells us that we must bind the “strong man”—the powers of this dark world—before we can spoil his house (see Mk 3:27). And the only way to bind the “strong man” is through Spirit directed intercessory prayer.

Do you have a hard time believing that the prayers you pray in the privacy of your prayer closet can restore peace to our cities? So do I. Often my prayers feel small and irrelevant, more like an exercise in futility than a joint venture with God to produce peace, healing and reconciliation in our strife torn cities. Then I remember that while my prayers may seem puny, God is all-powerful. I choose to believe intercessory prayer is powerful and effective because the Bible says it is (see Jas 5:16). History has also shown that fervent prayer has the power to heal our land and bring about justice and peace.

As believers we also have a responsibility to elect leaders of courage and moral character.

Neither political party is “Christian,” per se. And there are no perfect candidates. Every candidate is a flawed human being with feet of clay, as we all are. In choosing which candidates to vote for, we should prayerfully consider the legislation they sponsor and support. Legislators who vote against any bill protecting children in the womb from death by abortion have blood on their hands, as do the voters who elect them. Murdering a defenseless child in the womb is just as abhorrent as what happened to George Floyd and should spark the same kind of moral outrage. It seems hypocritical to me to protest police brutality while supporting abortion on demand.

If black lives truly matter, and they certainly do, then why is no one protesting the disproportionate number of Planned Parenthood facilities located in predominately African-American communities. Why is no one protesting the disproportionate number of black babies being aborted? The CDC reports that black Americans comprise 13.4% of the U.S. Population, yet they account for 36% of the abortions.

The way we vote has consequences. In societies where moral absolutes are ignored, injustice and human-rights abuses abound. In nations where moral absolutes are core values, injustice and human-rights abuses are not long tolerated. As Christ-followers, we have a spiritual responsibility to vote for candidates whose values and voting records reflect moral courage and integrity.

Reform without Regeneration is doomed to fail!

The reason many of the well-intended policies of the progressive movement fail are because they do not take into account humanity’s fallen nature. The Scriptures say, “… that the wickedness of man (is) great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (is) only evil continually” (Gn 6:5). The truth of that passage has never been more evident than it is now. The rioting and looting that is happening in our cities is proof positive that any policy or program designed to right societal wrongs will fail unless it recognizes humanity’s inherit sinfulness and accounts for it. Without spiritual regeneration our best intentions will always fail.  Our only hope is a truly born again experience in which God changes our nature and writes his laws on our hearts.

Reformation then must be added to intercession and regeneration for lasting change.

What regeneration does for human nature, reformation does for the policies and institutions that govern our nation. Maybe the area most in need of reformation is our educational system. We must reform the institutions of higher learning, which routinely denigrate our nation while extolling the “virtues” of socialism and Marxism. As a result they are producing anarchists bent destroying our nation and our very way of life.

A case in point: Tammy Bruce, in an op ed piece for the Washington Times writes, “In New York City during the riots, two individuals were arrested for attempting to bomb a marked New York Police Department cruiser with a Molotov cocktail. Upon arrest, police found additional material in the car to make more Molotov cocktails, and the booking complaint alleges they intended to hand out the bombs to other rioters.

“The kicker? Both of the suspects are lawyers.

“With such promising backgrounds and illustrious educations, we must ask, what went wrong?

“Education went wrong, which is a dangerous realization, considering its importance not just as a conveyer of information, but as an important and formidable influence on character and values. With the breakdown of the American family, for many, the leftist indoctrination at the academy is the only instruction on life and principles to which they’ve been exposed.”

Reformation is the only hope we have, but we must start at the local level by involving ourselves in all areas of public life—education, law enforcement, business, the arts and politics. Only when these areas are reformed, beginning at the local level, will there truly be liberty and justice for all. I must warn you, however, that any attempt at reformation that is not birthed out of intercession and regeneration is doomed to fail. Christians, whose lives have truly been transformed by the power Christ, are our nation’s best hope.

“So,” as Ben Shapiro writes, “Americans are left with a choice. We can either think of one another with charity and accuracy, acknowledging the sins of America’s past while recognizing that America remains a beacon of freedom and decency. Or we can continue to follow the path of those who would tear us apart.  To follow the latter course isn’t sensitive or moral. It places the very existence of our common republic at risk.”

About the Author:

Richard Exley has been a pastor, conference and retreat speaker, as well as a radio broadcaster. In addition he has written more than 30 books including “Authentic Living,” “The Making of a Man,” “When You Lose Someone You Love,” and “The Alabaster Cross.” He lives with Brenda Starr—his wife and childhood sweetheart—in a secluded cabin overlooking picturesque Beaver Lake.  He enjoys quiet talks with old friends, kerosene lamps, good books, a warm fire when it’s cold, and a good cup of coffee anytime.  For additional information you can contact him at:  www.RichardExleyBooks.com