President Bush

and Congress are in a dither over an economic stimulus package. With billions

of dollars lost as a result of 9/11 and with billions being spent by the

Department of Defense, the economy is in a whole lot of trouble. No doubt

about it: the economy is our god. The Clinton campaign theme of 1992 was,

"It's the economy, stupid." And he was right. The older Bush

had led us successfully in the Persian Gulf War. But, the economy was

on the skids. Clinton's win was all about cash, not character.

The immediate

aftermath of 9/11 showed a nation at prayer. Right? Prayer services were

being conducted on the streets of New York City where, heretofore, they

were prohibited (imagine a hokey prayer service in the sophisticated streets

of cosmopolitan New York City). But it happened as an aftermath. U.S.

Representatives and Senators were spotted huddling in prayer. The President

called the nation to prayer. Many people found where the church houses

were located. Church attendance rose. It was if Easter came early.

Prophets and

pastors, evangelists and apostles were on the edge of our seats hoping

this would be the wake-up call to which America would respond. Not so.

Remember the Columbine massacres when our high school youth were gunned

down in the safety of their own school. Do you remember the spiking of

prayer and the raising of great concern for America's youth? Remember?

The aftermath of Columbine saw many Christians make resolves that they

never kept. They said, "It's going to be different." Not so.

We are a divided

land and a troubled people, vexed by our own insecurities which focus

on whether or not we will have the money to buy all the toys we want a

la BMW, PC, or IT, whether or not we will get a lower interest rate on

our new mortgage, whether or not our insurance will pay our medical bills.

In Sunday's

AJC, Cynthia Tucker takes on the U. S. Attorney General, characterizing

him as a right-winger, wanting to take away the civil rights of the people.

She says he should be fired. No, Cynthia Tucker ought to be fired if the

AJC had any guts. The Democratic controlled Senate is holding up important

nominees to federal courts. Why? They are playing politics again. The

unity we all felt after 9/11 has been sucked away by the blowhards of

partisan politics.

Yes, we have

had our fair share of wake-up calls in the United States. But, no, we

have not awakened. Do you remember the wake-up call that finally captured

the attention of Pharaoh down in Egypt land? It was when the first-born

was struck dead in every Egyptian home, including Pharaoh's. If we are

waiting for a wake-up call to which America will respond, it will have

to touch personally millions of families.

Is there a

better way? Yes. God has shown us a far better way for healing to take

place in our land so that we can work out differences rather than debating

our differences. The Word of God says in 1 Chronicles 7:14, "If My

people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and

seek My face, and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from heaven,

forgive their sin, and heal their land."

But here's

the rub. The healing starts in the Christian churches where God's people

are lodging. Get the picture, now? Our very own planes are bombing our

very own cities. Our very own kids are killing our very own kids. In Georgia

alone, about 35 percent of all births are to unwed mothers. Get the picture?

It's not pretty.

God sent a

prophet named Jonah to preach a simple message to the wicked citizens

of Nineveh. Here was his message: "Yet forty days and Nineveh will

be destroyed." No buildings destroyed yet. But in forty days, destruction

will come. Get the picture? Upon hearing that simple, but powerful message,

the entire city repented of their wickedness from king to commoner.

It shouldn't

take any more pain for God's people to get restless in their seats, fall

on their knees, and beg in desperation for God's holiness and healing.

But, we wait. We wait to get on our knees until it touches us. Revival

won't begin at the ruined World Trade Center, but at the unworn carpet

of the local church.

The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor

of River's Edge

Community Church in Fayetteville.

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