See You at the Cross

And when he (Christ) drew near and

saw the city, he wept over it…

                           Luke 19:41 ESV 

     This morning all around the United States of America young people will be gathered beneath their school’s flagpoles to pray for our country. I remember 1990 and the first year that American’s young people participated in this national See You at the Pole event and how my heart jumped for joy as student after student joined parents and teaches beneath the American flag flying proudly over our small town high school.

     When I look at the battles we now fight to maintain religious freedom in our country, 1990 seems more like centuries ago rather than a couple of decades. Then, I never suspected that soon the monuments to our Christian heritage would be forcibly removed from public places, that our speech would be scrutinized and regulated or that our right to pray for the safety of our children before extra-curricular activities would be stripped away by our courts.

     I would never have believed that the Cross of Christ would become so offensive to other Americans that the battle to remove it from sight would boil over even into our cemeteries.

     But, that day has arrived! Today, our children do not know the America in which many of us grew up. Some days I barely recognize her myself, and I am sad. However, there is hope in God! There is hope in the young people who will proudly gather beneath the flagpoles across our land today.

     So, as our students gather for the See You at the Pole events across our country, our church made the decision to meet at the cross outside the front of our sanctuary. We will pray for them as they pray for our country.

     In Luke 19:41 we read about the broken heart of Christ as He wept over Jerusalem’s rejection of the Messiah. We, as The United States of America, have also rejected Christ. It is my prayer this morning that those who are able will rise up and pray today. Pray for our children, our nation and the boldness to take the message of Jesus Christ to the town squares and city parks—to the streets and the cemeteries—to the courtrooms and courthouses—to the radio stations, the television stations and the media around our country.

     It is time to stamp out political correctness and tell the gospel story with love, compassion and fervor. We can begin today as we pray for our children—lest they forget!

     See you at the cross!

©JP 2013