This past week has been horrific for our nation. As I sit here watching my American flag wave on the flag pole, I can’t stop thinking about the men and women who have fought to defend our country, our flag, and everything we hold dear to our hearts and how they would feel seeing all the chaos that took place in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. Would they turn over in their graves, knowing that their sacrifices had just been desecrated? Those who came back from wars must also be feeling humiliated and shamed by insurrectionist Trump and his violent protestors.
In the midst of the horrific images broadcast around the world, I found myself saying, “God, where are you?” I quickly reminded myself that God didn’t allow these criminals to do the chaos they did. He gave them freedom of choice, and in that freedom, they chose to desecrate our nation’s capital. Although many freedoms are protected under our Constitution, what these insurrectionists did was not patriotic. It was a picture of how Satan continues to find people and circumstances to allow himselfP to take control of people’s lives.
The sun, God’s light, shines on all of us, but some people do not see or want it. One day, God will call all of us home with open arms, but I wonder where these insurrectionists will go. What will they say when He asks them what good have you done while on the earth? We’ve taken God out of our schools, our homes, and our government. We’re so afraid of offending someone that we’ve ended up offending God. Perhaps the rioters’ pain, their problems, are worse than the average American, but violence is no way to make changes in our country. Sometimes, all anyone needs is for us to listen and for us to offer them help. Trump offered them lawlessness and our capital buildings; they followed Satan, not God.
I have many questions about these actual people, criminals to their souls. I do not excuse nor condone their actions, but I’m struggling with how a true American citizen could turn on his own countrymen, especially after everything America has gone through since 9/11.
- Did their apathy suddenly turn to sedition?
- Do they believe God has abandoned them when things went wrong for them?
- Did the lure of money destroy their value systems and become the measure of their worth?
- What stopped them from moving on when things began to slip through their fingers?
- Most people appreciate help from others in hard times. What happened to these people?
- What caused their gratitude in being an American to change into violent selfishness?
- People in extremist groups usually feel they have lost everything and have nothing to lose in becoming violent. What caused these rioters to allow themselves to be brainwashed into thinking a gun changes everything? What caused them to follow Trump as though he were god?
- Did they lose hope in eternal life or are they blaming God for their problems?
Perhaps these insurrectionists have never traveled to other countries to see what conditions are like in totalitarian governments, but I have. By giving Trump the selfish praise he needs to stoke his ego and storming Capital Hill, they came close to making our country into a third world, fascist country. Trump’s words, attitudes, and actions have caused severe damage to everyday Americans and changed good people into common criminals, the devil’s crusaders. Our gratitude to God as American citizens is proof that He exists, even in the midst of lies, misinformation, corruption, and violence.
God is not done with any of us yet. I pray that Trump’s legions will allow God back into their souls and that they will reach out to ask Him for forgiveness. God, not Satan, not Trump, is in control of everything, even our forgiveness. Not one of us can move on until we forgive ourselves. God will send America good, honest, trustworthy, intelligent, and loving government officials to help solve our political, economic, racial, health, military, and climate change problems. Until then, I pray that He will guide our judicial system to carefully and lawfully administer the right punishments for all who sought to do domestic terrorism on Wednesday. And may God bless all of our American hearts and souls and restore us to One nation under God.
Anna Hartt
