The events of the last few weeks remind us of the present evil age in which we live.
We have been exposed to video evidence of the systematic, methodical execution of unborn children by Planned Parenthood affiliates in order to salvage the desirable body parts for sale to firms for scientific testing.
We have been forced to watch as just five members of the Supreme Court declared a constitutional right to “same-sex marriage,” further obscuring the truth about the immorality of homosexuality.
We learned that one of God’s magnificent creatures, Cecil the Lion, was allegedly lured outside the safe confines of a Zimbabwean national park, shot with a crossbow, and killed merely for sport. All but lost as the indignation raged over the death of the lion was the story of Madyson Middleton, the 8-year-old California girl who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered. Police found her body in a dumpster. Her 15-year-old neighbor Jerry Gonzalez will stand trial for these heinous acts. It is almost too much to bear.
As we grieve, we are compelled to echo the voices of those in Revelation who cried out, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay” says the Lord, but as we await that hour there are tasks to which we are called. Proverbs says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy,” (31:8-9). Isaiah commands, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow,” (1:17). Jesus calls us the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” and commands us “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.”
In our big, loud world these tasks can seem daunting. We want to be salt and light, but we aren’t sure how to breakthrough the noise, or what to say if we do. Where does one even begin to tackle the biblical position on the big questions of our time?
The Manhattan Declaration is a good place to start.
Intended as a wake-up call to Christians, the Manhattan Declaration explains what life, marriage and religious liberty are and why they are of foremost concern for those who love Jesus. Finally, it provides an opportunity for the faithful to affirm their surpassing fidelity to God and His law above all others.
Will you take a few moments to read it, sign it and share it with others who have been awakened to the evils of our time and are looking for something they can do about it?