When I was an 18-year-old freshman at East Texas Baptist University, I heard a touching story. One of our chapel speakers shared how a man blind from birth had been led to a skilled surgeon. After performing the meticulous operation, the man’s eyes were miraculously and perfectly healed. For the first time he could observe the beauty of God’s creation.

A few weeks later, a beautiful and heart-touching act unfolded. Walking carefully into the doctor’s office were 10 men with their hands resting on the shoulder of one in front of them, being led into the doctor’s office by the man who had been blind but was now seeing clearly. When asked why they were there, the man leading them, still overflowing with joy, explained, “These are my friends. They have been blind from birth. I want them to see as I see.”

Even as I write, tears well up in my eyes as they did when I was in college. What an inspirational picture. Jesus said He not only came to “set the captives free, but to restore sight to the blind and free those who are downtrodden” (Luke 4:18). If there was ever a time when blind eyes needed to be opened, it is now!

The story exemplifies what every Christian should be doing as it relates to their faith. We should be so excited about being able to clearly see the will of God and His ways along with the profound results of this transforming experience that we simply can’t wait to share with others. It is too special to be kept secret and withheld.

The Ditch of Despair

Even when threatened by persecution and prison, the New Testament believers boldly proclaimed, “We cannot help but speak the things we have seen and heard!” (Acts 4:20) It is sad to acknowledge, but much of the church today is not only asleep, but by failing to lead others into the light, are proving to be blind to the truth and their responsibilities. Jesus said, “You are blind leaders of the blind, and when the blind lead the blind they will both fall in the ditch.”

We are witnessing firsthand the tragic effect this has on the church and our nation. We are blindly being led into the ditch of defeat, despair, dissension, division, and debt. It is amazing to watch those who are in the ditch trying desperately to make it more comfortable. In the Christian church, people seem to find false comfort in stained-glass windows, cushioned pews, and sweet little messages that move no one to action, but enhance the slumber. We air-condition the ditch, decorate it, install magnificent pipe organs, have big choirs, loud praise and gifted musicians, and take pride in the gathering — but only a few dare to come out from under the covering of conformity and compatibility that leads to compromise and an ineffective witness. We hide the light under this bushel and refuse to put it on the lampstand, and truly piercing the darkness with the transforming light of God’s truth.

Christians were never meant to live in defeat. He left us here as sheep in the midst of wolves, not not only to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” but to show everyone the very real possibility of this happening now, not simply after we die. We can make a difference because a difference has been made in our lives! We are to flee from evil, not fear what the wicked say or think of us.

Old Mistakes, Compounded

The church has been misled for years to stay out of the fray, to stay in the pew or under it, content to remain in the shadows of ineffective unbelief rather than living in the shadow of the Almighty while not only declaring His truth, but demonstrating its effects.

Our nation’s leaders, for decades and with far too few exceptions, have been leading us into a ditch of hopeless dependence upon a government power that our Founders told us at its best is in itself a “necessary evil” because of the evil deeds of mankind, and their refusal to live under control. They understood that government, in order to function effectively, must be limited. People must remain free not only to live, but to be productive and charitable so they can really find the peace and happiness they sincerely pursue. Government cannot provide it. Only God can!

Right now, we are seeing what could prove to be a tragic knee-jerk reaction to very real and serious problems. Men are not seeking sane solutions. They are continually engaging in fruitless discussions, like a loud, clanging noise that is not the fruit of love, but self-interest which will keep men under their thumb and the church hiding, as Jesus put it, “under a basket or a bowl.” (Luke 11:33)

I am not denying for one moment that we don’t have some very real problems that need to be addressed — but in this knee-jerk reaction, we are likely to replace what people are concerned about and frustrated over with something not only ineffective, but possibly worse. This has been our tendency and practice for many decades. Some of the most serious problems began to rapidly grow when an inappropriate response to the Great Depression led the United States to begin a trend toward dependence upon the feeble, worthless promises of mere men rather than remaining free to become productive and prosperous, with the Church influencing people to avoid greed and unnecessary selfish indulgence while forgetting others. The nation began to build systems in which we confiscate the success of others and dole it out at the whim of politicians who find it easy to tell people who have any need, “We’ll get what they have and give it to you!”

The excess of some corporations ultimately led to excess in the demands of unions. The foolish practice of some who prospered led to a hatred for those who succeed in the free market. The reaction to very real problems will never be solved by foolish solutions.

Remove the Blinders

Our Founders understood that every able-bodied person should help bear the load, and that if we are going to love our neighbor and meet needs, that responsibility is not going to be assumed only by the upper end in society, but by every person who is able to help in any way, large or small.

We are intensifying class warfare that makes typical racism pale in comparison, and people are finding it justifiable. Let me declare emphatically, WE ARE DIGGING A DITCH! We are not digging our way out!

This debt load is unbearable and many of the policies we are about to embrace, which foolish people have put forward as a solution to serious problems, are going to be passed on to our precious children and their children. Many elected representatives are spreading the lie that it is beneficial to forcefully take from the rich and give to the poor. The fact is, we’re going to disable their ability to continue producing opportunities and jobs, expanding opportunity for all and employment for many. They are also now setting in place the confiscation of any potential productivity of our children and grandchildren, and yours. Betty and I have 3 children, 11 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren. They will someday have children as well; I detest the ditch that we are allowing to be dug deeper and deeper. This is happening because church and political leaders are becoming blind leaders of the blind.

Greed and selfishness are problems clearly defined as sin. These problems are not only to be addressed by the church and its leaders, but, as believers, we have the only solution to the problems — and that is changing hearts and changing lives. In the family of faith, we have made people like us, rather than like Christ. We have made disciples of men rather than Him. God forgive us.

Isaiah wrote, “Who is so blind as my servant?” (Isaiah 42:19) In a later chapter he wrote, “His watchmen are blind. They all lack knowledge.” (Knowledge of the truth that sets men free.) “They are mute dogs, and they cannot bark.” (Isaiah 56:10) I believe they are refusing to bark because of the fear of man and the fear of opposition.

I, for one, will not remain silent. The horror and coming despair is too great to bear. Hear me loudly and clearly! I say this as emphatically as I can: Unless the Church allows the glory of God to rise and shine, and stands together to rebuild the walls and restore the foundations, freedom, hope and prosperity as we have known it will vanish from the earth.

I know God does not have to use America or the nations that have enjoyed some semblance of freedom to turn the tide. He can raise sons from stone, and He can speak through any available source. But I think it highly unlikely for the tide to turn without the influence of believers who have been blessed to see what a nation can do when it is established on biblical principles and a foundation of faith as ours has been. Our Founders came here seeking the freedom that only God can give, protect, and preserve. It will only be protected and preserved by those bold enough to take off the blinders, who refuse to follow the blind and ask God to open our eyes so that we may see clearly His will and walk in His ways.

Betty and I are pursuing Him with our whole hearts every moment and seeking to lead others to follow Him with all of theirs. We love Him. We love you and all those He desires to love through you. May God give us all eyes to see clearly the way out of every ditch into which blindness has led us.

Suggested reading 2 Peter 1:3-9

Originally published March 5, 2010.

James Robison is founder and publisher of The Stream, as well as founder of LIFE Outreach International and cohost of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards), Living Amazed, and Fight the Good Fight: How an Alliance of Faith and Reason Can Win the Culture War.