By AL PERROTTA - Originally Published on The Stream

Christians Engaged, led by Stream contributor Bunni Pounds has brought 50 believers to steamy Washington, D.C. to speak and pray with national leaders, dig deep into the museums, monuments and institutions of our nation’s Capital, and help each traveler discover how God wants to use him to help heal our land.

About the only thing we’re not doing over these next three days is performing at Ford’s Theater. (And I suspect that’s only because the 2022-23 theater season has concluded.)

Most crucially, this non-partisan group hopes to bring living water to “The Swamp.” (And for those of you who don’t know, Washington, D.C. is built on what was a swamp.) As Bunni said during Saturday’s welcome dinner, “The Gospel is the only thing that can save this nation.”

Getting Engaged

The motto of Christians Engaged is “Pray, Vote, Engage.” And isn’t “engage” an area most of us need the most work? As one gentleman put it who’s here with his wife and daughter, “I would pray, I would vote … and I would complain.” (Judging from the knowing laughter in the room, many know exactly what he’s talking about. In fact, somebody reading this just got convicted, just found themselves going, “Yup,” that’s me.” )

The group gathered spans a broad range of ages, races, backgrounds. (A great percentage are from Texas, but we can change that next year, right? See below.) Some jumped out of the womb interested in politics. Some have only recently caught the bug. But whether an incoming college freshman or recently widowed grandmother, as quiet as an empty House chamber or as rowdy as a rodeo, they shared a common message: They have a love for Jesus and an aching heart for this nation.

A lump grew in my own throat when a woman grew tearful sharing how she had just come back from viewing in person the U.S. Constitution.

Love of country. It’s fantastic.

How Do We Turn Our Passion Into Action and Our Nation Around

Christians Engaged didn’t bring folks to town to be tourists. They brought them to become a force for God and good. Specifically, Bunni said her goal was to help those on this trip to “see the face of Jesus” and to “turn passion into action.”

Director of Curriculum & Strategic Ministry Partnerships Ben Quine shared three keys for turning the nation around:

1. Godly laws. Think Proverbs 29:2 :
   “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
   when the wicked rule, the people groan.”

2. Godly leaders. Think 1 Peter 2:13-14:
   “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”

3. Embracing a Biblical Worldview. Think Proverbs 14:12:
   “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

What’s Ahead?

My task is to chronicle the next three days for you. Presumably with far more grace than the reporters who covered Mr. Smith when he came to town. Yes, discussing important matters with certain members of Congress is crucial. And few things can be more fun than checking museums and memorials, and praying for those we encounter on the way.

However, one thing I will be curious to see: The reactions of those who are in Washington, D.C., for the first time. Who think only of it as a swampy, swarthy cesspool of corruption and callousness, the place their tax dollars go to die, where many elected leaders seem utterly disconnected from the issues and interests of the hard-working American people. A place where madness has become the norm.

I pray some of the majesty and masterfulness of our Founding Fathers and our foundational documents, of our storied — if stained — history, of the beauty of the nation’s Capital rubs off. It can only serve to add hope that we shall again be a shiny city on a hill.

Note: Plans are already underway for the Christians Engaged 2024 trip to DC. It promises to be even bigger and better.

Clink this link to go to the pre-registration page. We’ll save a seat at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant for you!

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