Singing in the Pew – Day 24

stand-for-nothing-stand-up-for-no-one

How can any of us sleep at night? or do we just sing louder?

I remember hearing a story of the people who lived near the concentration camps. Years later, they were asked how they could have stood by and not done anything to stop the massacre.

Apparently they were afraid of going against what their country and leader had proclaimed to be right. As the train passed their church on Sunday, they could hear people screaming for help. After the first few weeks of this – when they heard the train coming – they sang at the top of their lungs – drowning out the sounds of the horrific screams for help.

If they couldn’t hear the screams of the people – they weren’t responsible.

The trains continued to roll.

I think the time has come for us to stop singing at the top of our lungs and begin listening to the screams of the innocent among us who have never had a chance to take that first breath of the oxygen they have waited for – for almost nine months.

I am not going to use statistics to support my gut wrenching reaction to late term abortion.

One is too many.

How can we stand by and protest all the injustices of our past – from the civil war to child abuse to law enforcement abuse to all the horrific crimes committed against the weak and helpless amongst us – as the cries of our future are helplessly murdered.

Abortion has always been divisive and controversial. We all know someone who has had an abortion. This is not about that.

This is a question about how our society has become the very people sitting in the church {whether you go to church or not – wherever you do sit} drowning out the cries for help.

How can we protest the treatment of the refugees, sex trafficking and the horrific acts of torture imposed by leaders around the world  AND not the murder of innocent babies? Why don’t we call it what it is? Our very own genocide right here in our own communities.

Why don’t we do both???? How can you separate them?

This late term abortion will be the death of our country as we know it – have you asked yourself – what is next?

What is our government going to dupe us into accepting next? Or are they just going to ask us to sing louder and even provide back up singers?

I’m mad.

The blatant disregard for the miracle of life God designed for we humans is something none of us even fifteen years ago could ever have imagined.

What is next?

I do know – I will not be one of the people sitting in the pew singing louder.

I always return to God’s word to drown out the lies of the world. This morning – I came across this group of verses in Jeremiah 5:26-29 – a warning given to the country centuries ago –

To Stand for Nothing and Stand Up for No One

26–29  “My people are infiltrated by wicked men,

unscrupulous men on the hunt.

They set traps for the unsuspecting.

Their victims are innocent men and women.

Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain,

like a hunter’s bag full of birds.

Pretentious and powerful and rich,

hugely obese, oily with rolls of fat.

Worse, they have no conscience.

Right and wrong mean nothing to them.

They stand for nothing, stand up for no one,

throw orphans to the wolves, exploit the poor.

Do you think I’ll stand by and do nothing about this?”

God’s Decree.

“Don’t you think I’ll take serious measures

against a people like this?

 Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Je 5:25–29). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

“Lord, please come into our midst – come among us and remove all the lies. Stand among us Lord – we cry out to You from the deep places of grief in our hearts.  Please, Lord, accept our prayers for the mothers of these children.  Please, let us know how we can help ease the terrible pain I can only imagine in their hearts as they make the decision to abort their babies late term. Give us their stories. Give us the ability to reach them. We do not understand. We want to understand if there is a way we can help. Is there a way for us to be a place of hope in this conversation? We have not heard their voices. Show us Your presence and show us Your truth. We seek You, Lord. Amen”

If you would like to read my recent post where I ask the question –  how do we view the world – by looking at the man in the mirror or the man in the binoculars – please follow the link at the beginning of this sentence.

Author: Janet Reeger

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