Hidden

We just recently returned from our annual summer mission trip to Barre, Vermont. If you have never visited this part of the world you are missing a visual treat. It is stunning to say the least, and that is just the view in the summer time. I hope to be able to visit in the fall when the autumn colors seem to be brighter and more vibrant there than they do in other places. Vermont is an interesting place. On the surface it appears to be this quaint, gentle, peaceful state where all is right with the world, but looks can be deceiving. When is comes to the spiritual side of Vermont, nothing could be farther from the truth. Studies have shown that less than 4% of the population of Vermont, as well as all of New England are evangelical Christians. Less than 4%! Let that sink in for a moment. This is a state that is in the news quite often for it’s liberal stance on many issues. After meeting with and talking to believers in the state I was quick to realize that this had not always been the case. In fact, thirty or so years ago it was actually a conservative state, but liberalism was slowly allowed to get a foothold in what, at the time, appeared to be harmless areas. This foothold spread until it gained a stranglehold on the entire state. Many outside of the Church will see this as progress and laud it as an example of how all states should be. As a believer I would disagree. What is hidden from the rest of the country are facts like the unemployment rate in the state is very high. Drug use use is widespread, which in turn brings about a rise in crime. Honestly, there is a spiritual darkness that you can feel as you walk through many of the small towns that make up the state. In talking with leaders of the few evangelical churches that do exist in the state they say that they are seeing an increased presence of things like satanism and wicca to go along with efforts to stop all things evangelical. There is a hidden battle going on in that area that goes far beyond any political ideologies. It is a spiritual battle that needs our attention and our prayers.

There are also lessons that we can learn from Vermont that are important for believers everywhere. First, we need to not take our religious freedom for granted. There is a growing push to stifle all things Christian. It starts with what appear to mean meaningless issues in small areas, but they end up affecting Christianity as a whole. Secondly, we need to be diligent in living out our faith as well as sharing it. People are watching to see if we live like we believe what we say we believe. Finally, we, as the church needs to stop assuming that “conservatives” are the same thing as Christians. It appears that the Church has put to much trust in politicians who may say they believe the same way we do, but in fact, they just want our vote. Politics and politicians are not going to change the world for the better. Only Christ can do that working through the body of believers who need to take the great commission seriously. The is much work to be done, and we need to be diligent in how we live lest we end up in some place we never imagined traveling as we continue along the path…