Yesterday I had a conversation with some of my college students about politics, protests, riots, and race relations. A potentially explosive topic, yet each student kept their composure, listened, shared their opinions, and extended charity toward others. It was a visible example of the gospel and I believe we were all edified by both what was said and how it was said.

During our time, I also made several remarks about where we are as a country, and why these issues are so confusing and divisive. Here are three points I think we always need to keep in mind:

1. We should grieve injustice and oppose it when appropriate. Our God is a God of justice, and he has written his law on our hearts. It is right for us to feel tension, even righteous anger, when we see some people favorably treated while others unfairly treated. As a general rule, the political left does a better job at pointing out these inequalities, though their solutions are often faulty and can perpetuate the problem. (Micah 6:8; Matt. 23:23-24).

2. We should be concerned over the rapid moral decline of our society. Blasphemy, lawlessness, a devaluing of life, and a disregard for sexual boundaries have spread like cancer in our society and are infecting every human institution — government, entertainment, business, education, media, and family. As a general rule, the political right does a better job pointing out this decay, though they can be guilty of idolizing the past and omitting the spiritual transformation necessary to bring true change. (Romans 1:16-32; 1 Pet. 4:3-4)

3. We should remember the church is a counter-cultural institution at its core. Society will always fall short of God’s standard. While we should pray, stay informed, and remain engaged in the culture, we must remember this world is not our home, and that Satan is the ruler of this world. It is never a waste of time to channel our tension and enthusiasm into spreading the gospel and serving the local church — the one institution Christ promised he would build, which is to be salt and light amidst a dark and decaying world. (Matt. 5:13-16; 16:18; Eph. 3:7-13).

I believe these three truths affirmed together, will help us navigate these trying times and maintain our Christian unity, keeping the gospel at the forefront of what we do.

I pulled a book off my shelf the other day that I read several years ago. It’s called Defending the Gospel: What to Say When People Challenge Your Faith, by Kel Richards. It’s published by Matthias Media, and is probably one of the best introductions to evangelism and Christian apologetics.

Thumbing through it the other day, chapter 8 caught my eye, where the author shares “Four Big Issues” that come up and often get in the way of the gospel being heard. They are: religion, church, suffering, and truth. Each of these can be a stumbling block to the Christian faith, but also a great opportunity for conversation and exploring the scriptures together.

Concerning human suffering, I wanted to share an extended quote, which I find especially pertinent during covid. We’ve been praying for revival for years, and only the Lord knows, but it could be he will use this large-scale plague to bring a great wave of people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Surely never in our lifetime have so many people been brokenhearted, reminded of their own mortality, and perhaps more receptive to the good news.

Here’s the quote:

“A very wise pastor once said to me that a number of times over the years he’s had people turn up at his church because their life had hit the skids (they’d been diagnosed with cancer, one of the kids had turned to drugs, the marriage had broken up, the career and income had fallen in a heap, etc.). Basically, they’d turned up for help, and to try to make sense of life. But, he added, he’s never had anyone come to church saying, ‘Everything is going wonderfully well in my life and I wanted to find Someone to thank”.

“The grim truth is that when people are coping with life and all is going swimmingly, they are likely to feel that they don’t need God. That is, at least in part, what Jesus means about rich men getting into heaven being like getting an elephant through a letterbox (or was it a camel through the eye of a needle?). Health and wealth convince most people that they don’t need God. Grief can cause them to ask questions.

“This is certainly not something to say to people who are suffering, but it is something to bear in mind while trying to help them. What is happening may be God at work in their lives. We work for the God who is working for them.

Hence, we should listen – patiently and sympathetically. We should provide as much practical help and assistance as we can. And if they get to a point when they do want to listen to answers, perhaps the first thing to explain is that God understands about suffering because God has suffered” (pp. 112-13).

Oh that God would humble hearts, bring people to their senses, and use their grief as a catalyst to seek him. That would be good grief.