|
“Southern
Decadence” On Thursday Betsy Sawyer
email me: “Rabbi Loren, As I've been looking
at the death and destruction in New Orleans, it
has crossed my mind that the city is like Sodom
and Gomorrah. Its biggest festivals are so blatantly
rotten and pander to the worst natures of men
and women. ... But then I think about all the
true Christians/Messianic Jews there and in the
other places affected. And I wonder if New Orleans
is really any more sinful than anywhere else in
this country. I know that believers suffer along
with everyone else when these things occur. And
I also am fully aware that even as a believer,
I always have sin that I need to repent of. So
it does make me tremble when I watch these things
occurring - because I wonder what is going to
happen next. I take some comfort in knowing that
God places us exactly where He wants us so that
we can be a light to the people around us. I just
want to be a better light.” Is Betsy right?
Should we understand this hurricane to be a judgment
of God? Do the righteous suffer along with the
wicked when God judges a city or a nation? Are
there lessons to be learned from this calamity,
for the region that was affected, and for ourselves?
Natural
Disasters Nature’s disasters can be considered
part of ordinary life in a fallen world. The Earth’s
crust moves and earthquakes occur and tsunamis
happen. Blizzards and tornados occur and people
suffer. Hurricanes happen on a regular basis.
Natural disasters can be worsened by human pride
and ignorance. Why build a city under sea level,
or build houses, apartments and buildings so close
to the ocean? Why not give adequate resources
to strengthen the levees? Why not have the sand
bags and heavy helicopters on hand in case a levee
breaks? There were plenty of warnings that exactly
this kind of disaster could happen, and that it
was a matter of when - not if, and that
we should be better prepared.
Natural
Disasters Can Also Be Considered to be Supernatural
Disasters Consider the words of the Lord
that come to us through the prophet Amos (3:1-6).
Amos spoke to the Jewish people of the northern
kingdom who were straying farther and farther
from God. He called Israel to return to God, and
come back to truth and holiness. Hear this
word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons
of Israel, against the entire family which He
brought up from the land of Egypt: “You
only have I chosen among all the families of the
Earth; I can almost hear Amos pausing for
a moment here, and the people thinking: “Ah,
that’s true Amos. The Lord rescued us out
of Egypt. God chose us. He loves us. He favors
us. The Almighty has saved us before. We know
God, and He knows us. Therefore, all is well.
We’re OK. Nothing bad will happen to us.
Preach it Amos!” But that is the wrong conclusion!
Then Amos continues his message from the Lord
to Israel: therefore I will punish you for
all your iniquities.” The right conclusion
to draw is not that a nation that has enjoyed
the favor of God is immune from the judgment of
the Lord, but even more subject to it, because
to whom much is given, much is required, and the
more you know, the responsible you are, and greater
is the punishment for failure. Israel had been
given much. Our nation has been given much, and
so we are held to a higher standard. Amos continues,
teaching us that just as cause creates effect,
whenever judgment occurs, we should try to see
the hand of the Lord at work in that situation:
Do two men walk together unless they have
made an appointment? Yes, they make an appointment
to meet at the agreed upon time and place. Because
they have made an appointment, they are able to
walk together at the same time and place. Does
a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from his den unless he
has captured something? A lion roars victoriously
when he has captured his prey. Does a bird
fall into a trap on the ground when there is no
bait in it? No - there must be bait which causes
the bird to come into the trap. Does a trap spring
up from the Earth when it captures nothing at
all? No. It needs something to cause it to
spring. If a shofar is blown in a city will
not the people tremble? Yes, they will tremble,
because the shofar is blown to warn people of
an approaching danger. Now here is the conclusion
that all these examples of cause and effect are
building to: If a calamity occurs in a city
has not the Lord done it? Yes. If there is
a calamity in a city, whether by invasion of an
enemy, or the destructive forces of nature, the
Lord of Providence has allowed it to happen. Our
duty is not to blame the Lord for the disaster,
but find out why He has allowed the calamity to
occur in the city, and then make the necessary
changes in our thoughts and actions. In an article
posted on August 31st , WorldNetDaily.com reports
the following: Hurricane Katrina walloped New
Orleans just two days before the annual homosexual
"Southern Decadence" festival was to
begin in the town, an act being characterized
by some as God's work. Southern Decadence has
a history of "filling the French Quarters
section of the city with drunken homosexuals engaging
in sex acts in the public streets and bars,"
says a statement from the Philadelphia Christian
organization Repent America. This year's 34th
annual Southern Decadence festival, which drew
125,000 revelers last year, was set to begin today
(last Wednesday) in the Big Easy and run through
Monday. As writer John d'Addario explained in
"Southern Decadence 2005: A How-To Guide"
posted on FrenchQuarter.com: Parades and non-stop
parties aside, Southern Decadence may be most
famous (or infamous) for the displays of naked
flesh which characterize the event - which is
only fitting, since New Orleans in early September
is generally the closest thing you'll ever experience
to walking around in a steambath outside of a
health spa. While police have started to crack
down on public lewdness and pressure from a local
crackpot conservative religious organization has
caused the five-day festival to become a little
more sedate than it was in years past, the atmosphere
of Southern Decadence has stayed true to its name
and public displays of sexuality are pretty much
everywhere you look. Of course, the massive flooding
of the city and evacuation order from Gov. Kathleen
Blanco has forced the event's cancellation. "Although
the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act
of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent
America director Michael Marcavage in a statement.
"From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,'
New Orleans was a city that opened its doors wide
open to the public celebration of sin. May it
never be the same." Repent America says three
former and current mayors of New Orleans have
issued official proclamations welcoming visitors
to Southern Decadence. "Let us pray for those
ravaged by this disaster. However, we must not
forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated
and welcomed the wickedness in their city for
so long," Marcavage said. "May this
act of God cause us all to think about what we
tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling
before the throne of Almighty God." Is Michael
Marcavage right? Is there a connection between
disasters like this, and the judgment of God?
Does New Orleans need to repent? Listen to the
words of the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived (Luke 13:1-5).
Luke reports: Now on the same occasion there
were some present who reported to Yeshua about
the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with
their sacrifices. “Apparently some
Galileans were slain by Pilate’s soldiers
while offering sacrifices at the temple, so that
their blood and the blood of the sacrifices were
mixed” (Ryrie). Here is Yeshua’s response
to this calamity. And Yeshua said to them, “Do
you suppose that these Galileans were greater
sinners than all other Galileans because they
suffered this fate? I tell you, no. This
didn’t happen to them because they were
worse sinners than everyone else. They were at
the temple worshiping God. They may have been
righteous men! Here is the point. When calamity
falls, people and cities and nations need to reflect,
humble themselves and turn from their sins. The
all-wise and loving Son of God continues: but
unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
That’s pretty harsh Lord? That’s
the point that You make from this terrible incident?
Our need to repent? Messiah adds another example:
Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom
the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were
worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?
I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will
all likewise perish.” Yeshua, that’s
pretty cold! The lesson You give us from the calamity
that befell those eighteen men is that disaster
awaits all of us, if we don’t repent? That
doesn’t seem very loving or sympathetic.
But it is loving, because Love speaks the truth,
and repentance is essential for our well-being.
When we suffer as an individual, as a city or
as a nation, we should seek God, and ask Him if
there is a purpose in our sufferings. What should
I learn from this? Is there sin that I need to
turn away from? Are their wrong attitudes, wrong
ideas, wrong practices, wrong thoughts that I
need to avoid? What kind of changes do You want
me to make? The people of New Orleans, as they
are rebuilding their city, need to examine themselves,
and the life of their city, and turn away from
all sexual promiscuity, abortion, homosexuality,
crime and corruption. This calamity didn’t
affect only New Orleans. An area the size of Great
Britain was decimated. Large areas of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were affected.
The city of Biloxi was severely damaged, and all
its lovely casinos destroyed. This calamity also
affected the entire nation. New Orleans is our
biggest port. Imports and exports flow from there
to the rest of the United States, and from the
United Sates to the world. It is the source of
a significant part of energy production and distribution.
When you read the Holy Scriptures, you will find
that when a nation turns away from God; when a
nation becomes more and more sinful; when a nation
loses the fear of the Lord and ignores the Living
God and His wise principles for living that are
found in the Word of God; then God removes its
prosperity; calamities occur: droughts, floods,
fires, earthquakes, famines, plagues, wars and
invasions take place. When calamity comes to a
city or a nation, are the righteous always spared?
Even the righteous are affected by the Lord’s
judgment on a wicked city, people or nation. In
Psalm 74, Asaph asks the Lord to do something
about the devastation of the nation by the enemy:
God, why have You rejected us forever? Why
does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your
pasture? ... Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual
ruins; the enemy has damaged everything within
the sanctuary... They said in their heart, “Let
us completely subdue them.” They have burned
all the meeting places of God in the land... Do
not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the
wild beast; do not forget the life of Your afflicted
forever. Consider the covenant; for the dark places
of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
Let not the oppressed return dishonored; let the
afflicted and needy praise Your name. In
Psalm 80, Asaph implores the Lord to rescue His
people from their calamities: O Lord God of
hosts, how long will You be angry with the prayer
of Your people? You have fed them with the bread
of tears, and You have made them to drink tears
in large measure. You make us an object of contention
to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among
themselves. Noah and his family lost their
home in the Flood. Lot lost his great wealth in
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Daniel
was exiled and taken from his home in Israel in
the judgment of Jerusalem. Jeremiah suffered in
the siege of Babylon. The Messianic Jews who survived
the siege of Jerusalem around 70 AD lost their
homes in the city? Is New Orleans that much worse
than anywhere else? Is the Big Easy that much
worse than San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles,
Washington, New York, Boston or Detroit, or most
of the rest of the country? Is there anything
that our nation needs to turn away from? Yes.
the idea that the Constitution teaches that there
must be a separation of Church and State. Our
prosperity depends on God’s blessing on
our nation. We must not drive Him out of out public
life. We must genuinely welcome Him, and acknowledge
Him, and be thankful to Him, and pray to Him,
as did most American institutions and leaders
until the 1950s and 60s. Let’s turn away
from godless evolution and embrace Intelligent
Design and Creation. Let’s turn from all
false religion and embrace the truth that comes
from a pure understanding of the Word of God.
Taking God’s name in vain, treating Him
lightly throughout our culture. We must not use
God’s name as part of our jokes, in cute
expressions for emphasis or humor. Encouraging
the division of the Land of Israel. We must acknowledge
that all of Israel, from the river of Egypt, to
the river Euphrates belongs to Israel. We must
acknowledge that the rebirth of the modern state
of Israel is the providential work of God. We
must cease stop killing 4,000 babies each day
through abortion. We must love human life, treasure
it, and protect it, since it is designed in the
image of the precious God. To murder a baby in
the womb is to attack God. Our lives, our bodies,
our sexuality is not our own. We must submit them
to the moral laws of the Creator, and turn from
our immorality, adultery, extra-marital sexuality
activity, divorce, homosexuality and pornography.
We must strive for moral purity, so we can be
clean in God’s sight, and have strong healthy
families. Let’s turn from our murders, our
many crimes, into hard working, hard-studying,
generous people. Let’s turn from our alcoholism
and drug abuse and be filled with the Holy Spirit
of God, and the joy of the Lord!
Calamities
and Grace One last thought. Think of
judgment not only as punishment, but also as grace.
Think of the Lord’s judgments on Israel,
and on us, as grace. God has loved this country.
The Lord disciplines the children that He loves,
painful though it the discipline is at the moment,
so that we don’t continue in the bad direction,
and get worse and worse, almost beyond redemption,
like Pharaoh who hardened his heart, like the
Amorites whose iniquities became full. It is His
grace that brings corrective and redemptive judgment.
Let’s reflect the heart of the Lord, who
wants people to repent, and be saved, and have
a better understanding of what a genuinely successful
and meaningful life is all about. Let’s
be gracious and generous and helpful during this
calamity. Let’s help the suffering. Let’s
raise money to send to good Christian organizations
that are helping. Let’s pray that the entire
area will be rebuilt with a people more willing
to follow God and submit to His ways. And, let’s
make sure that we turn away from the things in
our lives that will bring the judgment of a holy
God.
Shalom
Rabbi Loren
|
