Edmund Burke is credited with saying, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  In the Ecclesiastes 3:7, we are told there is a time to keep silent and a time to speak.  Many of us have experienced situations where some people, we presumed were friends, could have spoken in our defense or joined our argument but were silent.  Their silence gave the appearance of agreement with the charges against us and the impact on our hearts was traumatic.  That pain was expressed in Psalm 41:9, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”  That Hurts Deeply!

I have experienced situations in which I stood up when I should have shut up.  I have spoken without hearing the whole matter and it caused pain and problems that were difficult if not impossible to rectify.  I have also experienced times when I wanted to sit down but knew that I must speak up and it brought about a resolution that would not have otherwise been realized.  There are situations when “good people” for whatever reason choose to be silent and their silence emboldens the adversaries and allows evil to triumph in that situation.  At Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the people were shouting and praising God for the Messiah.  The Pharisees challenged him that He should tell the people to be silent.  Jesus said, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

Although I do not expect the stones to begin crying out in today’s political climate, I do believe that the Spirit of God is grieved when we cower into the shadows and are afraid to let people know where we stand on key matters.  Especially matters that clearly run counter to the teachings of Scripture.  We have silently allowed the politicians and activist to advance their agenda when we could have spoken up and possibly influenced some or encouraged them to Think rather than react.  In that we become complicit and the fruit of our silence will be reaped by everyone.

One of the major problems in today’s world, as I see it, is the failure to honestly and openly Listen.  Someone said, “we were given two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak.”  That is not the nature of most, but if Fear comes into the equation many, become mute.  The Fear of Rejection is incredibly powerful, and many believe that if they just don’t rock the boat they will be accepted.  I have witnessed people trying to straddle the fence and not engage in the debate or discussion and found that both sides turned on them and rejected them.  Their path to acceptance became the path to rejection.

I have engaged in discussions on political matters with people who were diametrically opposed to what I stood for.  As a result, I’ve been told by some Leftists that they respected me because I was willing to risk the voicing of my views.  They respected the fact that I refused to engage in name-calling, shouting matches, and unbridled anger, but attempted to argue my position from a biblical and factual position.  They still disagreed but respected my courage and commitment to that which I believed.  Jesus addressed that, in a measure, in the Revelation 3:16, “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  I fully comprehend that He was speaking about our relationship and commitment to Him but that applies to every dimension of life.  Silence is not always Golden.   Sometimes it is Cowardice!

In the Bible, we find God’s view regarding the importance of sounding the alarm when there is a clear and real danger.  In Ezekiel 33:9-11, He speaks to that and warns the prophet that if he were to sit in silence when he saw a danger, the blood of the victims would be on his hands.  On the other hand, if he were to speak up and sound the alarm he would escape that judgment.

In America, there are political situations, ideologies, agendas, and platforms that run counter to the principles of God’s word and if the Church, Pastors, and Believers sit silently their silence aids and abets those pushing those agendas.  You may protest and say, “Roy, we have to honor the Separation of Church and State.”  You may argue that we are commanded to “pray for those in power and then obey even if we disagree.”  I would argue that our Founders and the Farmers never intended the Church to refrain from any input into the political debate.

History reveals that they usually began their sessions with prayer.  They frequently sought out the counsel of the clergy.  They argued against a State Religion or a State Church.  They took impressive steps to prevent the State from infringing upon the ability of the Church to follow their core convictions rather than attempting to prevent the Church from influencing the political.  I do not want the Church to run the State and do not want the State to run the Church.  However, I do want the ministers and believers to sound the alarm when the State takes a position that violates the principles and precepts of God’s word.

If we see legislation that hurts people and effectively enslaves them locking them into conditions and positions of poverty, should we blindly accept that in silence?  If we see the slaughter of innocent babies in the womb knowing that it contradicts the directive of Scripture, should we blindly accept that in silence?  If we see policies and legislation that endangers the citizens such as open borders and Sanctuary cities, are we to sit silent?  If we see overreaches of government in infringing upon our right to privacy and see moves to silence the church or control what can be preached, are we to sit silent?

I want to speak to Churches, Pastors, Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and ask, “at what point and on what basis do you sit in Silence while this nation is led down the path of destruction and into godlessness?”  I cannot, and I hope that rather than demanding people like me sit in silence, you join us and take a visible and verbal stand for God, Good, and Right.  We are fighting for our Freedom in more ways than many realize.

I am less concerned as to whether anyone seems themselves as a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or Independent than I am about inappropriate silence.  If I know to do good and fail to do it, the Bible tells me that is a sin.  If I saw a grown man abusing a child or a woman, I would not say, “Well, it is none of my business and ignore the situation.”  I am fully aware of the inherent danger of becoming involved in a domestic dispute.  If I saw a child about to enter a busy street I would not feel justified in ignoring that situation.  If I saw a fire in a house, I would not say, “Well it is not my job to deal with the fire, I’ll leave that to the authorities.”  I would try to find out if anyone was in the house, and if the authorities needed to be called.  

 Silence would not be justified in those situations.  If I see policies, agendas, and legislation that threatens the livelihood of citizens and threatens the ability of Churches and Believers their 1^st Amendment Rights of Freedom of Religion, I cannot sit in silence.  If I see objectives advanced that seek to ‘fundamentally transform’ this Republic into something other than a Free Nation with a government of the people, for the people, and by the people, I cannot sit in silence.  I contend that we are under siege today politically and call upon Churches, Believers, Patriots, Veterans, and Americans to break free from your Fear and take a stand.  This November is possibly a deciding factor in the direction and future of our Republic.  Choose wisely!

May God bless you and God bless America!