I recently gave a talk at a conference titled, “Christian Revival: Our Post-Liberal Hope” (cohosted by Pusey House Oxford and Danube Institute).
Video of my 15-minute presentation here.
Suffice to say, I spoke about what I often speak about: that Christians have lost sight of morality and, like their atheistic counterparts, are increasingly concerned only with the material; that, because of this, a moral vacuum has been created and exploited by Islam; that Christians need to stop thinking their faith begins and ends with them acting like the world’s doormats; and that, in short, they need to stand up boldly and unapologetically for their faith, as their forefathers once did.
So far so good. Nothing new here.
During the Q&A portion of my panel, however, a woman in the audience asked the following question (you can also watch it around the 29-minute mark):
[A]re we not being terribly arrogant thinking that somehow, we, rather than God, can change the mood in this country?… It’s actually about listening to God and asking Him how we should move rather than us having all these theories about what’s going to happen next…. I suggest that all of us in the communion of saints would be doing well to really listen to God’s call and actually if we did that might happen again—that revival.
You can watch my brief response here. But, because it was by necessity so very short—and because the question is so very important—in what follows I offer a much more comprehensive response, including through Scripture.
For starters, I agree that humility is essential to—and that arrogance is antithetical to—Christians.
That said, taking the initiative and acting is not arrogance.
Moreover, call me “dull of heart,” but I’m not overly sure what “listening to God” even means at this point—especially on a national, as opposed to individual, level. How does one differentiate between God’s voice, and one’s own never-ending thoughts? Seems a rather mystical—that is to say, highly subjective—endeavor to me.
Happily, I don’t need to discern God’s voice—for I already have God’s Word.
And from cover to cover, the Bible calls on Christians to action, not passivity disguised as piety.
Continue reading below for the Scriptures that demand action, and how endless ‘waiting’ and ‘listening’ is fueling the West’s ongoing decline and degradation.
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