Those five words still haunt my thoughts today. Sometime ago, I sat speechless as I listened to a man recount his trip to a holocaust museum with his young daughter. As they walked by photos of the death camps, gas chambers, and countless bodies piled one upon another, his daughter silently contemplated the horrors that were unfolding before her eyes.
When the tour ended, they drove home without saying a word. The father wondered if she truly understood the significance of the event. Was she too young to view such depravity? Was she too fragile to cope with the truth of the holocaust? Would it make a negative impact on her life? Would it leave her fearful and wounded? Would she begin to doubt God?
His questions were answered nearly two hours later when his daughter finally spoke. She looked at her father and asked, “Daddy, why didn’t someone do something?”
Will we hear those same haunting words from our children and grandchildren? Yes! If we fail to contend for what is right we may see a time in our history when our children will ask, “Why didn’t someone do something?” Sadly, we may not be able to answer.
The good news is that many are now asking, “What can I do to help?” People are willing to help, but they often don’t know where to begin. Here are just a few ways to honor God and preserve our values:
1. Lead a life of integrity regardless of what society promotes. Although only a select few can change government policy, all of us can build a life of moral integrity while staying committed to God’s Word. Certain “rights” and “wrongs” called absolutes are given by God to save man from himself. One of the best ways to make a difference is to commit your life to Christ, and to live a life based on moral absolutes—let honesty and integrity guide your decisions. “The integrity of the upright will guide them” (Proverbs 11:3).
2. Pray and fast for our nation. The need for prayer has never been greater. America has rejected God and His principles— we abort children and call it “choice,” we promote same-sex marriage and call it “a right,” we search the heavens for answers but turn from the One who created them, we worship Mother Earth but not Father God, and we call ourselves a Christian nation but we reject the biblical principles that made us great. And we wonder why we’re on the verge of collapse. Without question, prayer, repentance, and humility before God is our only hope.
3. Vote for principles, not a particular party. “He who rules over men must be just” (2 Samuel 23:3). The need for humble, God-fearing leaders has never been more apparent. The Lord hates pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness. Without humility and a teachable spirit, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to govern properly. Humility does not mean that leaders become passive pawns, but that they live in total surrender to God; they’re more concerned with God’s opinion than opinion polls.
It’s been said that the quality of our government depends more upon the character of our leaders than upon our laws. But be careful—many use “religious talk” and twist the Scriptures to support un-biblical initiatives. For example, in one setting leaders will express their religious convictions and quote the Bible, but in another setting they’ll vote for partial-birth abortion and against protecting babies who survive late-term abortions. Judge what they “do” more than what they “say.”
We can no longer hide behind the excuse, “I don’t want to get involved.” As citizens, we are given the privilege, for now, to place people in positions of leadership. Whether we like it or not, we are involved. Millions are not registered to vote; and millions of registered voters stay at home. We’ll stand in line to see a movie, but we won’t stand in line to vote and elect leaders who will affect the direction of our country. This makes a statement about what we value—and isn’t it sad. Let it not be asked of us, “Why didn’t someone do something?” because we may not be able to answer.
