Last week, I said that we would spend the next few weeks looking at Doing Things Afraid. This week, we have to deal with what happened at the US Capitol. We will get back to the topic of doing things afraid in the next few weeks.
Like so many, I was glued to my television the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 6th. I thought I was going to watch a tense debate about the electoral college results that eventually would end with the affirmation of the election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President elect Kamala Harris. After watching just a few minutes, I realized that what was happening was far more sinister and dangerous. And the more I watched the chaotic insurrection, I became livid.
For one, the deadly mob was treated differently than Black Lives Matter protestors. They were not met with a military level show of force, tear gassed and shot at with rubber bullets. They were allowed to return to their hotel rooms without fear of being arrested, which is why so many live-streamed their assault on the US Capitol. But obvious injustice was not what I was most angry about.
What angered me the most is the cowardly silence afterwards of some evangelical Christians. In the past, when things like this have happened, I have written as asked when will the real Christians stand up and point out the hypocrisy of Christians who support the racist foolishness of the Trump Administration? Well, I wil never tired of asking that question because it is clear by their silence or weak responses that some are not going to challenge what is clearly un-Godly, unpatriotic and clearly criminal behavior. Those who were quick to condemn the Black Lives Matter movement as un-Christian have been slow to place that same label on the violent rioters from the Jan. 6th assault.
So, what do we say now? It’s not just as simple as pointing out that sin was committed on that day and that Trump is to blame. That’s obvious by looking at video and social media posts.
What Christians should say is “No More!” No longer will our faith be hijacked, distorted and devalued by those who work to satisfy their carnal thirst for power. Yes, we pray for healing for our nation. But after we get up off of our knees, we have to make another choice on who we will serve as stated Joshua 24:15: “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
This recent attack on the US Capitol exposed the hypocrisy of some in law enforcement as well as some Christians It also seems as though God is continuing to expose the hypocrisy of those who say they serve the Lord but are really only serving themselves. Perhaps God is doing this so that there can be a time of reflective repentance before His judgement.
Shewanda Riley, PhD. is a Dallas, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving From Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @shewanda.