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merica is constantly changing. Our country’s direction will largely depend on how Christian leaders impact America. We owe a great deal of gratitude to the early Church Fathers for charting a biblical and theological course that gave spiritual navigation to the world. In 2022, our country is at a crossroads wondering which way to go.
We face dangerous pandemics and variants that have altered our lifestyles and our very existence. Crime and violence are out of control in urban cities. Domestic violence and terrorism are on the rise. False conspiracy theories are a real threat to our democracy. Racism is tearing the very fabric of our values and principles of equality and diversity. Unethical behaviors of individuals in high places are eroding confidence in our political and religious systems.
Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, makes an alarming assessment: “We are in one of those great historical In Old Testament history, prophets warned periods that occur every 200 or 300 years of dangerous times to come because of when people don’t understand the world transgressions. anymore, and When reading the the past is writings of the not sufficient prophets during to explain the pre-Assyrian the future” exilic period (Cameron and ( Jonah, Amos, Quinn [1976] Hosea, Micah, and 1999, p.1).1 In Isaiah), I feel the these perilous urge to proclaim times, Christian Th how the “land that leaders are I love,” America, challenged to Cybyer Ientyshnri pouPPa Pg 5ntnenri could suffer the give compelling same fate as spiritual biblical Israel. Christian leadership might save directions to a world that is meandering and America from destruction by standing our has lost its way. posts as God’s “watchmen,” telling the nation About 2,000 years ago, Apostle Paul, under what God has revealed to us, like the prophets the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, warned us of old. that the world would become a treacherous, Augustine of Hippo, in his book, The City fierce, dangerous, perilous place at the end of of God, uses an illustration of two cities. He the age (2 Timothy 3:15). The Greek word for explains that self-love has formed the Earthly perilous is chalepos. In 2 Timothy 3:1, the word City with contempt for God; the love of denotes hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous, God has formed the Heavenly City with harsh, fierce, savage, unruly. Matthew 8:28 contempt for self. The Earthly City glories describes two demon-possessed men who in itself, whereas the Heavenly City glories are “exceeding fierce.” These two verses reveal in the Lord. The former looks for glory from biblical truth that, in the last days, demonic men, the latter finds its highest glory in God activity will be released and bring forth harsh, (Of, Dods, and Gibb 1873,14:28).2 We as hurtful, painful, vicious activities that will be Christian leaders should examine ourselves hard to bear. We are living in unpredictable, and truthfully answer the question, which dangerous, perilous times that no other of the two cities characterizes our thinking, generation has ever known. behavior, action, and allegiance?
Christian Leadership in a Secular Culture
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