“Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place” (2 Chron. 7.13-15, NASB).

I wonder what would happen if we took God at his Word and repented for the sin that has been committed in our land. What if we – from the church house, to the school house, to the court house – began to repent for the sin of racism and all of its related vices? What would happen? Would God forgive us? Would God heal our land? Would He heal the broken hearts and the wounded souls? Would He restore us not only to Himself but to one another so that we as a people are no longer at odds with one another and live in constant fear of each other?

If God is true, and I believe that He is, He will do it. If we as a people of faith step out on faith and simply trust Him in what He says, I believe that we would see a tremendous outpouring of His Spirit in the hearts and lives of so many people in this country. I believe that we would see an unprecedented shaking, a never seen before breaking of demonic activity that has held our land captive to the evils of racism since before our country’s founding.

The question is if we are willing to HUMBLE ourselves to go after it? Are we willing to let go of unearned privilege, power and prestige, leaving them at the feet of Jesus in exchange for something far greater and much more enduring? Are we ready to ask forgiveness from those we have hurt and offer forgiveness to those who have hurt us? If we are, great! Half of the battle has already been won! If we are not, I pray that God make us ready. God, make us thirsty for reconciliation! Though the risk is great, we end up risking so much more if we sit back and do nothing.