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THREE QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE ASKING NOW:
As We Pray For America (Expanded)

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

But even in death the righteous have a refuge. (Proverbs 14:32)

The Lord works out everything for his own ends –

Even the wicked for a day of disaster. (Proverbs 16:2)

Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

But those whoa re righteous will go free. (Proverbs 11:21)

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

But the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:28)

I urge… that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (I Timothy 2:1-2)

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also because of conscience. That is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:5-7)

On Tuesday, September 11, hijacked airliners rammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. America was attacked. On Wednesday, President George W. Bush and leaders in the U.S. Congress are talking about war. Today, rescuers found a few survivors; thousands of families continue to wait in anguish. This afternoon, the U.S. Capitol building was evacuated, even as the FBI identified the hijackers. America is in mourning; Americans are angry. Patriotic feeling is high; the American flag is displayed everywhere. The nation wants to take action; she wants to retaliate. Christians everywhere are praying.

How should we pray? And what convictions should undergird our prayer? Christians are asking some poignant questions during this moment.

Question #1. Where Is God At This Moment?

When disaster and tragedy strike, people like to doubt God or blame God. They either challenge God’s power to do something to stop evil, or they question God’s mercy on the victims. In the back of some people’s minds, God is finite. He is not all-wise, or He is not all-powerful, or He is not all-loving.

We all have our own concepts of God. We bring these preconceived ideas of God to our questions, even when some of the concepts may be foreign to the Bible. For many people, man’s absolute freedom and independence is such a fundamental, non-negotiable notion in their minds, that they cannot imagine bowing before a God who is all-sovereign: a God who has created all, and rules over the entire universe, at all times, according to the pleasure of His will. In other words, many people will reserve some independence and freedom for man, at all costs, even if it goes against what the Bible teaches.

But the Bible declares that God is just such a kind of God: He is Lord over all. He has created the universe, and continues to rule over it, all the time. Does God know about September 11, 2001? Of course. Is God powerful to do something about it? Yes. He has chosen to allow these events to unfold. We will not understand why the attack on America happened. God has not chosen to give us the answers to all our questions. We certainly cannot speculate whether this is judgment on any individual’s sins (John 9). He has, however, expected and demanded that we trust his wisdom.

God’s wisdom includes both his mercy and his judgment on a human race which is sinful and fallen. Man has rebelled against God. Man has broken God’s laws. As a consequence, the universe does not function the way it should. We do not deserve God’s mercies. God’s judgment and condemnation is upon both mankind and nature (Genesis 3:15-17). This means that every moment, every day which goes by in peace and tranquility, is the result of the (common) grace of God. What should surprise us is not why the World Trade Towers were destroyed and so many perished – rather, what should surprise us is, why all of us enjoy so much of God’s gifts every day – our very lives, our breath and our sustenance.

We grieve for those who died. This is the hour for Christians to show our compassion to our neighbors and friends. We do not have the right to pronounce judgment on them. They are sinners – and if Christians, redeemed sinners – just like we are. We are sinners, just like they are. It could have been us who perished. It is just out of God’s grace that we are still alive.

Is this the kind of God people want to believe in? Very often the answer is “No,” because people do not, as a rule, easily give up their autonomy (independence from God). We would rather be the masters of our destinies. But this kind of autonomous thinking is exactly what Jesus Christ came to this world to challenge. He demands that we repent of our sins, trust Him, and take up the cross to follow Him. This involves the transformation and renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2).

Was God there in New York on September 11? Yes, He was. He never left us. He continues to sit on the throne. He continues to deal with us according to His righteous judgment and His abundant grace.

When tragedy strikes, we must remember: God is God (not us). God is all-wise. God is good to provide mercies to each one of us, each moment. And, even in the darkest moment, God is working out His wise purpose. We often do not know what that purpose is. He has not chosen to answer all our questions (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Is this a popular message? No. Is this what the Bible teaches? My humble plea to my readers is: Yes. Please consider it prayerfully, thoughtfully. On our knees, when we pray, our hearts will be enlightened to know: Yes, God is still on the throne. He has always been on the throne.

In fact, this view of God – as the all-wise, all-righteous Ruler of the universe – ought to govern the way we pray. What is prayer? Is prayer an order for God to do something? No, prayer is surrendering ourselves to the sovereign rule of God, in our lives and in our world.

Prayer, in the final analysis, is surrender and worship. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” Jesus taught us to say; and our hope is “Hallowed be Thy Name” among the nations. That kind of prayer is difficult, and quite distant to many Christians’ minds. Perhaps it is time not to doubt and challengeGod, but to doubt and challenge our views of God.

Question #2. How Do We View the U.S.A.?

Many who will read these words are Chinese Christians. Many of us were not born in the U.S.A., though some (like myself) have become U.S. citizens or immigrants. We have mixed ideas and feelings about the U.S.A.

Some Chinese people think that the United States is a “Christian country.” If this means that Christianity is the official religion of the U.S., it cannot be further from the truth. The U.S. Constitution forbids the government to “establish religion,” that is, to declare one particular religion to be the official national religion (guo jiao).

Other people think that Christians founded the U.S.A. in 1776. That is not true – at least not the whole truth. Yes, the Pilgrims who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 were mostly Christians, and the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1630 were by and large Christians who wanted to build “a city on a hill.” The Pilgrims and Puritans came to the New World to establish a body politic to the glory of God. However by the middle of the 18th century, Christians, Deists, Roman Catholics, and non-believers were living in the 13 colonies. The Founding Fathers of the U.S.A. (the signers of the Declaration of Independence) included both Bible-believing Christians (like John Witherspoon, Presbyterian minister and president of Princeton University) and Deists (like Thomas Jefferson) who do not believe in miracles or sin.

Is America a Christian nation? No. But she has enjoyed much Christian influence. God has been good to the U.S.A. Christians have always made up a significant portion of her population. There have always been many Christians in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. I have personally visited several Senators and Congressmen who witness to their living faith in Jesus Christ. So we can say that the U.S.A. has always enjoyed God’s blessings – at least material blessings in terms of financial prosperity, military strength, technological advancement and civil liberties. In God’s providence, America is the strongest nation in the world since 1989.

There are some people who want to make America into a “Christian country,” by imposing the Christian faith on the rest of the population. Most evangelicals do not agree that that is the aim of the church in society.

So who is America? With historical hindsight, we see that God has, in his providence, allowed certain nations to be the primary leader in world affairs throughout history. Before 1500, China was a world leader for some time. Then in the modern period, first there was Portugal; then the Netherlands; then England, especially during Queen Victoria’s reign. Then the U.S. became a world leader in the 20th century (for some time with competition from the U.S.S.R.). In God’s providence, and by God’s common grace, the U.S. enjoys a position of financial, military and technological leadership in the world today.

Many of us, as Chinese and Chinese-Americans, have benefited from the freedom and opportunities that this country provided for us, so that we can complete our education and raise a family here. Others have benefited from the missionary and Christian influence on China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and many areas where Chinese live. We need to say “Thank You” to America.

The U.S. is a needy nation today. She needs the gospel preached to her, like many other nations in Europe and in the Third World. If we ask: in which nations is the church of Jesus Christ strongest? The U.S.A. would not top that list. Many Third World countries have become “Christianized”; for example, 80% of Kenya’s population is Christian. Singapore may be more than 20% Christian. This does not mean that these nations have Christian values through and through in their political, economic and cultural institutions. However, the church is making tremendous progress in these countries as well as in China, Korea, Indonesia, and many countries in Africa and Latin America.

The U.S. is in a needy position today. And she is hurting. Both President George W. Bush and his father, the former president George Bush, understands that the U.S.A. needs her allies when military action is planned. The U.S. cannot act alone.

The U.S.A. needs our prayers. We can say “Thank You” to America by praying for her, and for her church. We can say “Thank You” by getting involved in American society, such as donating blood at the Red Cross, or participating in politics, especially on the local level. We can say “Thank You” to America by joining the ranks of missionaries being sent out from the U.S.

The United States is not an “Elect Nation”, nor is she the great evil empire. She is a nation, like all nations, who is accountable to God for how she governs her affairs. God requires us to be merciful and righteous. The United States is you and I who live here.

Question #3. How Should Christians Express Their Patriotism?

If the United States is “just another nation,” like all other nations in the world today, how should Christians express their patriotism? As the United States was draped in Red, White and Blue the weekend of September 14-16, 2001, Chinese Christians may have mixed feelings: Is this my country? Should I support the U.S.? If yes, why? What is my support for the U.S. based on?

Many evangelicals have, until recently, thought of the Christian life as divided into a secular side and a sacred side. Our civic and political duties, obviously, belong to the secular side. And the two sides do not mix. In recent years, however, a more holistic approach to life has been adopted by an increasing number of evangelical Christians. When needs arise, especially those of fellow Chinese immigrants and fellow Chinese-Americans, Chinese Christians have responded with courage and strength – to provide relief, to serve new immigrants, to fight discrimination, to get elected into public office.

When God created man and woman, he ordained the institution of family and work. By extension, we can say that God ordained the government so that man can fulfill his mandate on earth. Romans 13 certainly teaches that government leaders are ordained servants of God; Paul instructs us to obey our government; it has the right to order us to bear arms. In I Timothy 2, Paul instructs us to pray for our government leaders.

Therefore, a Christian should pay taxes, obey the laws of the land, and if ordered, serve in the military. Some Christians are called to be political and government leaders.

Because of sin and the fall of mankind (Genesis 3), all areas of life has been polluted and perverted. Thus, governments do not always act in merciful and just ways, government leaders do not always fear and obey God. Christians have the responsibility to pray that their nation may flee evil and pursue righteousness. Prophets in the Old Testament often weep in anguish, and speak in holy righteousness, rebuking Israel and calling her to repentance.

Many Chinese intellectuals, who have been used to acting as the conscience of their own country (China), are quick to point out the imperialistic sins of America and other nations in the west. Some today may even rejoice that calamity has fallen upon the United States. Many who have not been influenced by Christian values are limited to a chauvinistic kind of nationalistic pride, which may work itself out in derision of other nations. We are comforted when our Allies comfort us; but let us be careful to also listen to our critics (Muslim nations, people from China, etc.).

We must remember that every Christian is a citizen (or subject) of one nation or another. God has placed us under authority. Governments may sin, and we need to prophetically call them back to God; however in the ordinary course of events, we are to love our country by supporting and obeying their laws and leaders.

American Christians have adopted certain habits and traditions in the past 250 years as ways to show patriotism; as Chinese Christians, we can learn from these, and evaluate whether we want to adopt any, adapt or change some, as we think through how to show patriotism to our country. (For many Chinese who have become U.S. citizens, such as myself, the U.S.A. is our country! We vote here, we pay our taxes here, we earn our living here.)

Many American Christians display the flag in their homes, and some churches display the flag in their sanctuary.

Many American Christian schools and youth groups say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag at the beginning of some activities, such as ball games and youth rallies (usually not in worship services).

Many Americans sing patriotic songs, such as “God Bless America,” and “America.” (These should not be construed as hymns of worship, but folk-songs and songs of prayer by a particular nation. Chinese Christians have our own patriotic folk-songs, such as the CCCOWE anthem.)

Most American pastors remember to pray for the President and government leaders regularly in the public prayer in Sunday worship services.

Many pastors and churches remind Christians to vote; some pass out survey data concerning the voting record of various elected leaders (e.g. as to their stand on abortion, etc.).

Most American churches agree that the church should not endorse a particular political party or candidate, but pray that righteousness would prevail. Therefore, there are many godly Bible-believing Christians who are Democrats, and there are many godly Bible-believing Christians who are Republicans. In recent years, some Christians have become independent.

Churches are often asked by the government to serve as polling places. This means that the citizens of the town can come to the church to vote; such voting events are not sponsored by the church. The church merely allows the use of their space (including the parking facilities!) as a service to society.

Churches have shown great support for American troops in times of war. Those American Christians who are old enough to remember World War II have much to teach us from their corporate memory!

American Christians are free to disagree on policy and political issues, but agree to pray together, united as the church of Jesus Christ, for the good of the nation.

When the Republic of China established her government in 1912, many members of Parliament were Christians. They called upon the nations in the west to pray for China! As Chinese Christians watch Americans display their patriotism, let us ask ourselves: how should we learn from them?