During the 1976 approach to America’s two hundredth birthday, there were dangers to the nation in many directions. The Soviet Union presented a fearful threat. Its leader, the bear-like Leonid Brezhnev—with his scowling demeanor and dark, bushy eyebrows narrowed—always seemed to threaten world destruction with nuclear war-dominated headlines.
Communism was on the move, despite the ending of the Vietnam War, which, to many observers, America lost. That evil ideology seemed to be spreading everywhere, including to this hemisphere.
The American culture was growing coarser by the day, with many universities and colleges harboring professors who taught (and students who excitedly embraced) communism. Anti-American revolutionaries grew from these enclaves to foment growing internal strife.
This anti-God assault was somewhat prevalent even when I was a college freshman in 1961 or so. A professor—young and looking like a prepared-for-TV politician—stood before our freshman classes and proclaimed the marvels of Marxism and the evil of the politicians of the American government.
As the 1976 Centennial approached, we had a pastor in our church in Little Rock, Arkansas, whose name was Dr. Russel Clearman. He was the most eloquent speaker as a pastor that I’ve had in my own experience as a church member.
Dr. Clearman was a no-nonsense man who exuded patriotism. But, to him, Jesus Christ was at the center of every message leading up to that 1976 celebration.
He wrote a book about the coarsening culture of America and the fact that we as a nation were at a crossroads. We had to choose which way we were going to go from here. Were we to keep going down the road toward a terrible ending, or were we, as a nation, going to turn back to God, asking that He forgive our rebellious ways and restore America as the founding fathers had constructed under God’s guidance?
The name of the book was Which Way America?
Although Dr. Clearman was probably in his sixties, as I recall, this was his first, perhaps his only, book.
It sits on a shelf in my office, but now, being blind, I can’t reread it as I wish I could. It was inspirational, as were his sermons.
Dr. Clearman was so eloquent and so relevant with his knowledge of the Bible and issues and events of the day that he was asked to do a ten-minute exposition at least once a week on our local TV channel, KTHV-11, in Little Rock.
I often wonder what he would think if he were on earth at this time. He went to be with the Lord too early, we who cherished his presence believed; however, it wasn’t too early in God’s knowledge of time served in His name. Dr. Clearman developed leukemia soon after he left as our pastor.
The title of his book—Which Way America? —is certainly now more relevant than ever as this generation moves away from God’s governance.
A colleague and friend recently emailed me, in part, the following regarding his view of what’s been happening in America: “I’m of the opinion that Satan is unleashing his dogs of Hell on the Trump administration and the United States. We need to be praying earnestly for President Trump and his family and primarily for the United States of America and for God to have mercy upon this nation and spark a revival in this country that is quickly turning into a spiritual desert.”
Certainly, my friend is proven right every time things going on within the politics leading to the midterm elections come into focus. This is revealed by the following opinion piece:
“Woke one was crazy.”
Such was the proclamation from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on ABC’s This Week about far-left rhetoric that has alienated voters and cost Democrats dearly in recent elections. The statement was particularly shocking coming from Ocasio-Cortez given that she, perhaps more than any other single politician, is primarily responsible for mainstreaming “woke one” and jawboning the rest of the party to go along with her.
That Ocasio-Cortez is willing to acknowledge the toxicity and “craziness” of the height of the woke era is a sign of how much things have changed – or perhaps a sign of her own 2028 ambitions.
Regardless, every indication suggests that her analysis is correct. Last year, a research project conducted by American Bridge 21st Century involving thousands of voters in 21 states came to the following conclusion: “Working-class voters perceive Democrats to be woke, weak, and out-of-touch.”
But as much as Democrats frantically try to shove their extensive history of extremist rhetoric down the memory hole, it is unlikely to work for the simple reason that they haven’t actually abandoned their radical views. Democrats merely recognize how unpopular the woke platform has become and are now opting for the Trojan Horse strategy – publicly expressing contrition while still pushing for the same policies under a façade of moderation.
Indeed, anyone of sound mind who has witnessed the “craziness” of what’s gone on in the leftist (progressive) political world must, like me, cringe at the prospect of electing such ideology as majority into the governance of our beloved nation. But that is the prospect we face.
We who watch all that is happening across America and the world through the biblically prophetic lens know that the moment when Christ will call all believers to Himself must be very near. So, there will be an escape from the wickedness of this nation and world at some point.
However, we are here at this moment—put here by the God of all creation—to perform a mission. We are to work to bring as many of the spiritually lost as possible into God’s family with the salvation message.
We are at the same time to consider matters wrapped in Dr. Clearman’s book title as pointing to our civic duty while we’re still here: Which Way America?
Let us perform both duties as our coming King’s royal ambassadors—seek the lost for bringing them to salvation while trying, through the political and other God-approved processes, to turn our nation back toward Him.
Here again is that salvation message to deliver: “That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
