America on the Brink

Paul told the Galatians, “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, under the law to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (4:4-5). While some focus on Paul’s argument about Christ’s work in relation to the law in Galatians, I like to draw attention to the idea of God sending Jesus “in the fullness of time” because the particular moment in history God decided to do this is no small matter. Time and historical moment are neglected theological matters that inform the nature of ministry, preaching, and social advocacy. In this book, I use time and historical moment as theological markers to explore the challenges and promises of ministry and advocacy work today. Pastors and other Christian leaders are living in a unique historical moment that demands understanding and discernment, a moment that commands our attention and best energies. He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? (Luke 12:54-56). And this reveals to us that the most striking thing about the story of Rip Van Winkle is not merely that Rip slept twenty years, but that he slept through a revolution. While he was peacefully snoring up in the mountain a revolution was taking place that at points would change the course of history—and Rip knew nothing about it. He was asleep. Yes, he slept through a revolution. And one of the great liabilities of life is that all too many people find themselves living amid a great period of social change, and yet they fail to develop the new attitudes, the new mental responses, that the new situation demands. They end up sleeping through a revolution (Martin Luther King, Jr., Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution ). There are two pitfalls to avoid in moments like this: not discerning the moment; and being overwhelmed by the weight of the moment. History reminds us that just because people profess faith in Jesus and work to advance his mission in the earth that these things cannot and do not happen. In fact, it is happening all around us today. Churches and Christian leaders have lost their way and seem unable to respond to the challenges of the moment, which is why I spent so much time writing in magazines and journals over the course of the last two years. In the pages that follow are a compilation of essays speaking to important political and social issues today, including the issue of systemic racism. These essays are a part of work I do with Kelly Mikel Williams at Black Politics Today magazine, Dr. Pat Anderson at Christian Ethics Today , David Bailey at Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine and Megan Veda with the Courier Journal . They have graciously granted me permission to republish these articles. I pray you will find them insightful and challenging. Lewis Brogdon

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