By Brent Smith
[Brent is the preaching minister of the Trenton Church of Christ in Trenton, Tennessee.]
Aside from the obvious political connotations, what am I really praying for when I ask God to make America great again? Studies show that abortions in the U.S. have decreased by more than 10% since 2010. In that regard, America is better than she was 10 years ago. Since 1973, we have lived in a country that has legalized infanticide. If you grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, you may recall bomb drills in school. During the Cold War, Americans lived under the constant threat of nuclear warfare. Shall we go back to a time when black citizens could not vote, or go into a diner and be served, or drink from a whites-only water fountain? Shall we go back to a time when women could not vote? Was America great when she enslaved an entire race of people? America has done some wonderful and beautiful things. America has done some terrible and ugly things too.
America is still excellent — and has been the last eight years. America has also been pitiful and sin-sick. Though founded on Judeo-Christian principles, she has never been a Christian nation. She is, however, home to many Christians. And we pray for her. But instead of asking God to make her great again, let us pray:
For God to stop the murder of our babies. For God to heal wounds between races. For God to shut the mouths of those who spread propaganda and lies to incite conflict and violence. For God to open the eyes of people to truth. For government officials and law enforcement to truly serve and protect in the best interest of the populace. For citizens to respect authority and one another. For mercy. For love. For laziness to go unrewarded. For children to be exposed to truth. For the gospel of Jesus Christ to be sounded out through every city and countryside. For marriage. For family. For the homosexual rights agenda to be defeated. For the innocent to go free. For predators to be brought to justice. For terrorists to be stopped. This paragraph is longer than “make America great again,” but it’s easier to understand and isn’t, I hope, unnecessarily offensive.