The special investigation into Russian meddling in the last presidential election has absolutely consumed the news media for over a year now with liberal and conservatives alike casting dispersions upon one another. Mud-slinging of epoch proportions. This past week Special Counsel Robert Mueller released the names of thirteen Russian individual agents and agencies who have been indicted by the Grand Jury for attempting to disrupt the election process through the spread of misinformation and the staging of purposely divisive events such as public rallies. Mueller’s report also indicated that no U.S. persons were knowingly involved in the attacks. The report also indicated that these attacks started before all the presidential candidates had even been named.
An analysis of the attacks shows that their purpose was to sow seeds of discord and divisiveness in America as evidenced by the fact that the attacks targeted candidates in BOTH political parties and occurred both before and after the election. Why would Russian agents try to breed and encourage divisiveness in America? Quite simply, it is to weaken our nation’s power and capabilities. Any nation which turns against itself will eventually fall prey to the divisiveness and become ineffective since it cannot develop and sustain public policy. When our leaders are spending all their time pointing fingers at each other and our citizenry is becoming increasingly polarized on multiple issues (e.g., immigration reform, gun control, racism, sexism, etc.), our country cannot effectively run a government.
If the allegations against the Russian agents hold true, it is certainly a contemptable and illegal attack upon the United States by a foreign power. However, even if the allegations are proven true and we were to find a way to prevent such meddling in the future, that would only address a small part of the problem. These attacks were primarily implemented via social media and irresponsible management of news media. Sadly, the United States has become a country who seems anxious for any kind of scandalous or fantastic story. “News” has become “entertainment” and a platform through which we can promote our own cause or just jump on a bandwagon of someone else’s cause. This fact makes our country highly vulnerable to the winds of change as we drift perilously in the water allowing ourselves to be blown in any direction.
The writer of Hebrews warned us against such careless behavior:
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard [The Gospel of Jesus Christ], so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard [Eye witnesses], 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Heb. 2:1-4)
Scripture admonishes us to pray for our civic leaders and to pray for unity in the church. The flag of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is inscribed with the motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” This motto is actually centuries old and can be found verbatim in a work from Aesop. However, the veracity and importance of the motto as it applies to our country and the church have never been greater. As a church and as a nation we must return to our core values and quit focusing on “symptoms” (murders, drug abuse, racism, sexism, immorality and lawlessness of any ilk) while ignoring the cause of these societal woes – SIN! The answer to our problems is NOT gun control, immigration reform, better social programs or new laws – it is open heart surgery: we must open our hearts and allow The Holy Spirit to operate.
Satan is the father of lies and the great deceiver. He wants to breed discontent, discord, and selfishness into our lives. Divisiveness among a group of people extinguishes unity and weakens their positions. America needs to quit falling for Satan’s ploys and go back to the absolute truth and morality of Scripture. We must put God first in every aspect of our lives and turn our country back to the morality and Christian principles upon which she was founded. Then, and only then, can we reasonably pray “God Bless America.”
-Pastor Dave