The Next Civil War
The year 2020 has been full of surprises. At this juncture, one can ponder what is next on the horizon. Anyone saying that 2020 would give us a 20/20 vision to see what’s in store spiritually is probably hiding under a rock right now.
Given the significant divides in our country and culture it appears likely we are headed for a collision course with repercussions like never in our country. Recent surveys have indicated that 1 In 3 Americans believes another civil war Is coming. One question to ponder is did the first one ever come to an end.
Can you believe we’re talking about Civil War in the year 2020? The perfect storm is brewing as I ink this blog. It’s absolutely mind-boggling to think that, with the technological advances and social progression of the past 160 years, the term “civil war” would come up in ANY modern-day conversation about the United States of America.
Ironically, this is where we are. This has been brewing for years now and in this blog, I will outline four key areas of conflict in our culture today.
Racial Tension Continues to Brew
Despite the election and presidency of Barrack Obama, American is still a two-race country. While we praise the accomplishments of Civil Rights movement in America and the work of Martin Luther King, laws cannot change the hearts of a nation. I personally believe this all came to a head with the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in 2012.
The shooting was built up by the media as a racial hate crime by a white man (which George Zimmerman wasn’t) against an innocent black child (which Martin, according to his social media posts, wasn’t). This marked the commencement of the medias role in exploiting these incidents in the future.
Since this occurred there have been a number of police involved shootings and killing of unarmed black men and women including Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rashard Brooks, Daniel Prude, etc. Somehow, these issues get spun into a “black vs. white” thing. The vast majority of white people sympathize with the black community when this happens, and everyone wants change. However, it’s not just the racial tensions that are creating thoughts of civil war—it’s the political divide that’s creating such havoc.
The Great Political Divide
While there was a divide in the election of 2008 it is in no way comparable to what’s happening in our nation now. The political ideologies of Right and Left are further divided than they’ve been in the past 160 years, with both sides failing to see the other’s point of view on anything. Regardless, the American experiment is TRULY being tested, and the chasm between Left and Right, Liberals and Conservatives grows bigger every day.
So, when the Rasmussen Report polled Americans on the current situation, the last question was the one that got the most attention. It read, “How likely is it that the United States will experience a second civil war sometime in the next five years: very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?” And the answers to this poll was astounding with 34% of people polled believe that America will experience a second civil war by 2025.
The Growing Threat of Violence in Our Cites
Our cities are burning as we speak; however, these are not the riots of the past but have involved anarchist groups such as Antifa and far right militia groups. This is a frightening insight into the climate of our country now.
When divided by party, 40% of Republicans and 28% of Democrats said a second civil war was “on the horizon” – with 38% of non-affiliated polled saying they see a high probability of disruptions during the next election. We have witnessed violence like never before with police being attacked in their vehicles, efforts to defund the police and first responders shot on site as they arrive to render aid.
We are divided Blue and Red, Liberal and Conservative, Black and White, Gay and Straight and on and on. And it seems like America is heading down a dangerous path.
The Great Church Divide
As a black conservative, I have served in ministry for over 45 years of my life. I have survived the civil rights protests, being arrested in the 70s and witnessed the Great Revival moves of God of the 70’s. Yet, now there are churches, denominations and ministers who disagree politically and have even separated because of their political choices. There is a severe divide in the church between the white evangelicals and black Protestants.
With the election looming in merely a few weeks there are rumblings and repercussions regarding potential unrest regarding the outcome regardless of how wins. Hopefully, this is something that we can get THROUGH together. Maybe it will be something that we can use to make our country even stronger and we can truly become the United States of America.
As I close this blog let us remember the Words of our Lord, “John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Let’s stand in agreement with the Word as we pray for our nation’s plight.
It’s time for a spiritual awakening in our country. As for me, regardless of the outcome, whoever is elected will be my president, I will pray for them as the scripture instructs us.
This is the Voice of the Overseer