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No one said hearing

the Truth was easy ...

The Rev. Dr.

John Hatcher

Religion Columnist

It doesn't take too much analysis to identify

Fayette's foremost spiritual malady: It's ease. If our citizens don't

have it, they are seeking it desperately. To be at ease.

"Ease" appears to be the very essence of the good life.

Our deepest ostensible concerns have to do with drive

time to and from work, the length of our child's bus route,

and making sure a golf cart doesn't mow us down. Our

children struggle fervently with crucial issues like the "in" label for

the week, who isn't on the Internet, and what "hot" thing can

they do this weekend. Comparatively, grades don't even register

a needle's width on the rhubarb scale. Because of all that,

we ministers are expected to function as purveyors of ease

rather than prophets of truth. Most folks want to hear how good

they are, how forgiving God is, and how it's all going to work

out in the end. They don't want some preaching dude to come

in and shout, "Thus saith the Lord God Almighty ..."

The mighty Prophet Amos dealt pointedly about

ease among God's people. He said, "Woe to those who are at

ease ... to those who feel secure" (Amos 6:1). Amos preached

to people whose passion was pleasure and whose spiritual

zeal was zilch. I fear that aptly describes thousands who

call ourselves Christians living in and around Fayette County.

We can turn out the numbers and turn on the zeal for a

zoning matter, but not for a spiritual matter. We can crowd the

board room when our kids don't have a gym, but it's okay for

our kids to go all day long without instruction on morals

and values. We'll wait 45 minutes for a table in the newest

restaurant, but a seat better be waiting for us at church or we

will turn around and go home and turn on TV church. You

know what I'd love to see: a wad of folks upset that our county

is increasingly pagan. I'd like to see a flock who really

and sincerely wants the pastor to turn on the heat so they can get

it right. I'd like to see a whole crowd just itching for God to

do something big. I'd like to see revival hit Fayette like

an earthquake so that what's happening at the church on

Friday and Saturday nights would be the hottest ticket in town.

The year 2000 (Y2K) fear has a lot of people

preparing. But it's preparation to ensure that they will not have to

go without to remain at ease. We don't want our

lifestyle threatened. The Y2K fear has done little to motivate us

to prepare spiritually. So, with extra cans of beans in the

pantry, we yawn on.

Yet, the injunction remains: "Woe to those who are at

ease in Zion." Strap on your seat belt, there's more next week.

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