One of the big stories in the news in recent months has been the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The lack of collegiality among political leaders has been graphically displayed during these proceedings. Based entirely on political and ideological bases, senators have virulently attacked the character of a man for purely partisan reasons. The duplicity and hypocrisy of politicians is breathtaking. But I digress: Rather than take this space to impugn the character of many politicians (a third grader could do that), I want to focus on something that has once again come to the fore during the senate hearings on Judge Kavanaugh.
Although it has now been more than 45 years since the Supreme Court handed down its infamous Roe v. Wade decision, the utter gall of condemning over 60 million unborn babies to death in the womb (allow that number to sink in for a minute) has deeply scarred the conscience of America, and enshrined our nation as one of the worst purveyors of holocaust in human history. Using the medical fraternity and modern technology to take the lives of the unborn, with the stamped of legality (and implicit morality) provided by seven justices of the Supreme Court, Americans nevertheless instinctively know something is amiss.
And yet, all these years later, one entire political party has wedded itself to the single objective of preserving and protecting this macabre practice. After 45 years, the ‘elephant in the room’ at the senate hearings was Roe v. Wade, and the mere possibility that Kavanaugh might not approve of that decision (one of the worst examples of judicial overreach in U.S. history) has become justification for senators to shout condemnation, attack his character, ignore their own ethical rules, and inspire frequent outbursts in the usually-august chambers. Many have observed that Democrats have made this entire confirmation hearing a ‘circus.’
I submit that if we want to understand why this is happening, we must look beyond mere politics – because that is really just the symptom of the disease. Look ‘beneath the surface’ and what you will see a struggle between the father of lies, Satan, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The human heart is the battlefield on which this conflict is being played out. Like he does with all wanton evil, Satan promotes our self-justification and resists the Spirit’s conviction of our guilt. Pithy catch-phrases like “a woman’s right to choose’ are used to eclipse the ‘silent scream’ of millions who are dying. Our moral blindness is dumbfounding.
Part of me wishes that this issue could be resolved once-and-for-all by politicians or judges, but in my heart, I know that will never be enough. The blight of slavery, endorsed by the Supreme Court in its infamous Dred Scott decision (ironically by the same 7-2 majority that foisted Roe on our country), led to the divine judgment of the Civil War, which took the lives of well over 600,000 young American lives. What divine judgment are we summoning in our unbridled attack on unborn human life?
The only answer to the problem of abortion (and all sin) is the gospel. Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 1:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools… although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
In just over a month, Americans will go to the polls to elect local, state, and national leaders. This is an important election, to be sure, but our perspective as Christians must never be reduced to political positions. While there are important differences between candidates and parties, we must ‘keep our eye on the ball.’ The real battle is for the heart. The gospel reveals a chasm between a holy God and a sinful man, and the solution to that separation is reconciliation through faith in Jesus Christ.
At the end of his autobiography entitled The Great Good Thing, the former secular Jew-turned-believer in Jesus, Andrew Klavan, writes of the joy he experienced when, having believed the gospel, all of life came into focus: “The story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection not only made sense in itself, it made sense of everything I had experienced and everything I had come to know. It made sense of the world.”
Living in a world where evil is endorsed and embraced by judges and politicians, don’t let your vision be blinded to the real need of our nation. The gospel alone can change the human heart, and make sense of this crazy world. Share it with someone who needs to know, today.
Sam Dorhout