"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right."
—James 2:8

"And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold."
—Jesus, Matthew 24:12

As Christians, we are all familiar with the Biblical commandment presented in Leviticus 19:18—which was later reaffirmed by Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, and James—to love our neighbors as ourselves.

But, what does it mean to love all the people in the community in which we live?*

The late Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer used to say that "man is not just a soul to be saved."

British theologian Dr. John R.W. Stott explains, "Therefore, if we truly love our neighbors and, because of their worth, desire to save them, we shall be concerned for their total welfare, the well-being of their soul, their body and their community. And our concern shall lead to practical programs."

The evangelical church, in particular, has lost this balance. Its focus on evangelism, while commendable and necessary, frequently excludes social action. People are not just souls to be saved. Take a careful look at Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46. This sobering passage reveals that Christ is very concerned about how we respond to the physical and emotional needs of our fellow man.

Yes, we are all called to make a positive difference in the lives and future of our fellow Oklahomans.

Newspaper headlines on a daily basis trumpet the tremendous social pathologies which exist in Oklahoma and across our nation:

• Children kill children in our schools
• More than one million precious babies are aborted every year
• Sexually transmitted infections run rampant among young people & adults
• Nearly 40 percent of all births today are out-of-wedlock
• Over 40 percent of first marriages end in divorce
• Cohabitation rates have skyrocketed
• Child physical and sexual abuse is growing significantly
• Illiteracy is but one major problem facing students in our nation's schools
• Political correctness trumps reason and free speech on college campuses
• Homosexual marriage, euthanasia, bisexuality, pornography, sodomy, incest, and other attacks upon traditional morality gain favor in our popular media and courts
• Religious liberties and parental rights are routinely violated
• Gambling has mushroomed in Oklahoma and nationwide
• Global aims trample individual rights and national sovereignty
• . . . the list could go on and on.

Our opportunities for community involvement are limited only by our imaginations and energy.

As you become informed about the issues and aware of the human needs in your local community, state, and nation, you will soon discover no shortage of things to do. Rather, your challenge will be to focus on just one or a few key tasks.

Some folks, mindful of the following quotation by former U.S. President James Garfield, sense a calling to work on federal or state legislative issues.

"The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If the next centennial does not find us a great nation it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."
—James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States

When the people get involved, thankfully, our state and federal elected representatives will often listen. This is an important area of service.

Other people will decide to focus on work with young people, adults, or on huge or emerging cultural or social issues.

Whatever you do, be convinced, you CAN make a positive, significant difference in the lives of individual Oklahomans today. Your faithful involvement will also help to determine the kind of state and nation and popular culture our posterity will inherit tomorrow.

If you attend a church, we encourage you to help your church to start a Community Impact Committee (CIC). We have found that the most influential churches in a local community have an organized committee devoted specifically to social and civic concerns like those noted above.

Another advantage of working through such a church CIC is the encouragement the members can each offer to one another. We pull no punches. This long-term work to combat the many serious social and moral problems our nation faces is very challenging, and the evils encountered can be overwhelming at times. As Jesus predicted, "because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold."

Don't let your love of your neighbors grow cold! That's precisely why OFPC recommends that you seek to accomplish this important and necessary work within your church, alongside and with the counsel and encouragement of your brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.

However you decide to make a difference, the Oklahoma Family Policy Council invites you to participate with us in this great adventure and endeavor to truly love our neighbors. Welcome!

*Adapted from John Eldredge, Jason Skifstad, and Greg Jesson, "A Biblical Case for Social and Political Involvement," Community Impact Curriculum (Colorado Springs: Focus on the Family, 1991) pp. 3-4. Used with permission.

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