WHO ARE THE FOREIGNERS?

My uncle Mike (M.J.) Cotter, a survivor of Pearl Harbor and a World War II veternan, passed away in 2008. He had many stories to tell of those horible days on board the USS Maryland in the Sout Pacific. His attitude about the Japanese and their horrific atrocities was certainly justified. He had lived and survived that terrible time in history.

M.J. would probably never own a "foreign" made car such as the Tennessee built Honda that I drive. I can understand that.

Many people are still fighting the cause of "buying American". We are in "desperate times" according to many, and we've got to protect our own interests. I do believe we are in desperate times, but it is desperation caused by our lack of faith in Christ. We need revival in the hearts of Christians.


I received an email today which closed by saying, "Stop buying from China". The writer used many illustrations of how to study labels and purchase only those things made in our country. The article had been sent to me and distributed by people who serve under the name of Christ. I'm really not sure that the writer of the email claims to be a Christian, but it had been passed on to me as "gospel."

I think of Christ saying to us, "Go ye therefore . . into all the world and preach the gospel." I can never imagine that he would say, " . . but don't buy anything from them."


I've often fallen into the trap of believing that being a Christian is the same as being an American. Since I live in a very "churched" area of America, I somehow believe that everyone is just like me. They need to act like a Christian. They need to respond politically as a Christian. But then I remember that it is just not so. They cannot nor will not act like Christians because Christ has not entered and changed their hearts and lives. The Christian church is growing more in China today than in any other part of the world.

We as believers must see the lost individual as our concern. The friends that I have who serve as missionaries in foreign countries have gone there to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have not gone there to change the political or economic world. That will happen as Christ enters new hearts.

If we as Christians say, "Don't buy from China", I feel that we are really saying, "Don't buy from China . . just let them go to hell. They are not one of us." These words would not come from the mouth of Christ. So, maybe we as Christians should rethink our position.