Rush to Charlie

I was in my twenties the first time I heard him. I thought, “Wow! This guy is saying what a lot of us have been thinking!” He was logical, articulate, and not afraid to tell it like it is. And he seemed to come along at just the right time because our country was being torn apart by moral insanity and political corruption.

Religious conservatives by the millions looked forward to hearing him respond daily to lying politicians from the president on down who were bent on taking our nation down the path to self-destruction.

I was one of those who looked forward to listening to him during lunch. A number of my preacher friends enjoyed hearing him. He just seemed to be able to answer the issues in an insightful way like no one else could.

But then I began to think about what we were doing. My Christian friends, especially preachers, all said the same thing: “I agree with him up to a point, but…” He was right about some basic moral questions. He was spot on when it came to politicians. But he was wrong about important matters in the Bible. I also noticed that we preachers were quoting him a little too often and were spending too much time listening to him. We were excited that someone in the media was finally voicing our frustrations, but we had gotten things a bit out of proportion.

His name was Rush Limbaugh.

Our world is an even bigger mess now. It gives us hope when someone has the courage and intelligence to publicly address and debate issues like transgenderism and abortion. It’s unusual for anyone, especially a young man in the public spotlight, to be an advocate for motherhood and to stand for many Christian values. And I understand the appreciation Christians feel. It’s refreshing to hear someone who represents our concerns and it gives us hope for the future. And, it’s discouraging when that voice is taken away by a tragic death.

But let us keep things in perspective. It is good to stand against evil and help to preserve our nation. But the church that Jesus died for is about more than that. It’s about saving people from the penalty of their sins, not preserving our freedom and prosperity. A man can help our country by opposing cultural decay, but if he does not believe and teach God‘s plan of salvation in the Bible, he is not helping them with the most important issue of all which is the salvation of their soul (Matt. 10:28; Mark 16:16). The most important speakers are not those who talk about saving a nation. They are those who speak to save souls.

Our primary mission is not to save our country. It is to save sinners and to keep Christians saved. This world is not our home, and we don’t want to hear this, but there’s no promise that our nation will stand. God may spare our civilization. But He also may punish it for the evil that has been done in this land. The only kingdom that will endure all the recessions and catastrophes and wars of this life is the church (Dan. 2:44; Matt. 16:18).

Trust in the all-seeing eye of God and His gracious but firm hand as He deals with our nation and other nations in His own time and way.

Give credit to warriors in the church who are unsung heroes—preachers, elders, deacons, Bible class teachers, mothers who teach their children to fight the good fight of faith, fathers who are God’s men in their homes, and generous, unrecognized widows who sacrificially donate of their means to support the spread of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. They may not save the country for the next hundred years, but they will do something far, far more important: help to save souls for all eternity.

Kerry

West End church of Christ • September 21, 2025