Where Is The Church? by John Koehnlein, Jr

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

The silence of the church during this past week has been deafening. If we are supposed to be the reflected glory of Jesus Christ, the One True Light of the World, where are we during this dark time? Everyone is looking for answers to the racism and hatred that is overflowing in our country right now, and let's be honest, since our country began, and yet there is no loud voice pointing to Jesus. Celebrities and others are turning to social media and doing TV interviews but how many Pastors have we heard from? And even that falls short. Its easy to sit at home and tweet and go on TV but where is the church, going out into the streets and standing side by side with those in pain?

Where is the church, sitting in the streets and praying for God to heal our land?

Where is the church, being the example of and pleading for the peaceful protests that Rev King adopted?

Where is the church, speaking the truth that the ONLY WAY to turn a heart of hatred into a heart of love is by truly accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into that heart?

Where is the church, calling out the sins of our country; hatred, abortions, homosexuality, adultery, oppression of the poor and defenseless, the turning away of the stranger and the foreigner, the killing of the innocent, just to name a few?

Where is the church, who is less concerned about their political alliances and more about the truth of the word of God?

Where is the church?

I'll tell you where the church is.

The church has hidden itself under the basket; the basket of complacency, the basket of indifference, the basket of segregation, the basket of fear, and the basket of compromise. If the church refuses to come out from under its basket and put itself on the lampstand, then we should not be surprised if the Lord Jesus comes and removes our lampstand from its place.