A Debate and a Campus Debacle

Like many of you I watched a portion of the Republican Presidential Debate last night.  I did not see the debate in its entirety, but I was impressed with what I did see.  I thought that any of those eight people on that stage would make a great President.  I was listening for some key words.  One such word was "values."  It seemed that almost every candidate said that America needed to get back to those "values" that had made it great.  It was good to know that, as diversified as are those candidates, that there is a centrality to their thinking: America is in decline and the only way to stop the slide is to get back to those principles that made America what it has been in the past.  A second word I listened for was "family."  Perhaps it is because the church that I serve has a strong focus on "family" as its ministry.  In fact, "family" is the heart and soul of our focus here at Buffalo Covenant Church.  I was so impressed with the emphasis that Marco Rubio placed upon "family."  He was unapologetic.  (By the way, I have been impressed with how Paul Ryan, the new Speaker of the House, has said that he will continue his focus upon his family.)  Yes, government is important, but family is biblical.  A third word I listened for was "small government."  I am a strong believer in "small government."  I am a strong believer in allowing the states to do what the Constitution guarantees to them.  Nearly every candidate emphasized their desire to shrink Washington.  Have I made up my mind as to whom I will support?  Not yet, but I was impressed with the quality of men and women represented on that stage last night. 


The feature story on the news last night was the events happening at the University of Missouri.  Through the pressure by students - and just a few students, certainly not the majority of students at that University - both the President and Chancellor of the University have resigned.  The complaint: the University of Missouri has been a hotbed of racism and the President and Chancellor have done nothing to prevent racism from occurring.  As I was driving into the Cities for a breakfast meeting this morning, one of the talk show hosts played a montage of clips from students as to why this protest occurred.  Among responses were these: it was a backlash against what happened in Ferguson, Missouri earlier this year; it was a sign that the university leadership had not been sensitive to the needs of students of minority who have been oppressed historically for centuries; and that if a person undertakes a hunger-strike for a number of days and sees no results, then a protest must occur. 


That same talk show host then read the email sent to the students on the campus of the University of Missouri from the Campus Security Department that if they heard any words that they viewed as being hurtful, the students were to call the campus 911 number.  As I was driving I thought to myself: you have got to be kidding!  If I hear words that I consider hurtful, I am to call the police using the number designated for emergencies? 


Let me ask you: How many times have you heard "hurtful" words said to you?  Did you call the authorities?  You say, "Max, don't be silly!  Of course not!"  And that is right.  Friends, I have to admit that there was a time in my life when, if I had followed the new directives used at the University of Missouri, I would have had an almost daily police protection.  I would like to tell those students, "Grow up!"  Yes, words can be hurtful.  I think of all the hurtful words that were hurled against Jesus as He hung upon that cross for you and for me.  I cannot begin to imagine the vindictive tone of the voices of those who hurled one insult after another.  Yet, what was the response of Jesus?  Did He protest?  No, He forgave! 


The problem in our country today is that we are so focused upon ourselves and our rights and our feelings that we have little regard for others.  Of course, it is politically correct to be sensitive to only certain words.  I need to be sensitive when I talk about gender - I don't want to offend anyone.  So, if I am walking around the campus of the University of Missouri I had better be careful about using the "gay" or "homosexual" words or I might offend someone and soon have the police at my shoulder.  I also need to be sensitive when I talk about race - I don't want to offend anyone.  So, if I am walking around the campus of the University of Missouri I had better be careful about how I speak of "black Americans" or I might offend someone and soon have the police at my shoulder.  However, I do not need to be careful at all as to how I speak of Christians - after all, they are always a welcome fodder for our conversations. 


Friends, the Bible instructs us that we are to be careful in our speech.  The way I guard my speech is to guard what goes into my heart for Jesus said, "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:19).  My speech is a reflection of my heart.  So, yes I need to exercise care.


But, we do live in a land where we still have a First Amendment which proclaims that I do have the right to freedom of speech.  That Amendment gives me the right to say what I want to say.  A person may not like it, but I can still say it.  This "right" is being taken from us.  Will there now be "thought police" at the University of Missouri?  They had those in Nazi Germany.  Will people be afraid to speak out now because someone might just be listening who would be offended?  When a culture becomes afraid to engage in significant dialogue and surrenders to the political correctness of the moment, that culture soon will die. 


Think about that statement for a moment: If we surrender to the political correctness of the moment, that culture soon will die.  Look at what the world is pressuring us to become.  Let's all have the same amount of money - no rich people, no poor people.  (Note: been tried before and didn't work too well, so was abandoned; why? because there is no incentive to work).  Let's all think alike - everyone thinks about everything in the same way - no diversity of thought.  Let's all believe the same way - everyone is going to heaven, so why make a big deal out of Jesus.  (Note: sadly this is the belief of so many, including some evangelicals).  Let's all be part of the same government - one-worldism is growing. 


As I look at what happened these past few days on the University of Missouri campus, I realized that we simply are turning another page toward the coming of the Lord Jesus.  And for that I get very excited.  How about you?