In the OT there is a story of a town with a bad water supply. The bible says the town was “beautifully situated” but the water made the town uninhabitable. As I read that story this morning I thought about our country. No matter what political side you are on, I think we can all agree America is beautiful – from the colors in the Fall of the Appalachian mountains, to the calming beaches of the Pacific.

But with all its beauty and charm, we can all also agree, America needs healing. Yet despite its problems, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

How did God heal the water in the bible? He added salt. How will America be healed? Salt. The church is the salt God has sent to heal our land. There is a balm in America and it is Jesus living in us. There is hope for our land and it is the Hope of Glory. I pray the church will stop looking for a political party to heal us and look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

I pray the church would be a demonstration of unity. I pray we would be more united by the Jesus we share than by our denominations, political parties, or the hue of our skin.

May we love one another and then love the world with acts of kindness. It’s His kindness that will lead others to repentance not a political party.

May we feed the poor rather than feed discord on Facebook.

May we create more mentoring programs than memes that mock our opponents.

May we advance the kingdom of God – preach a gospel of love, heal the sick, and set the oppressed free.

May we be who we are – salt and light to a world in need.

God bless America? Yes. But remember, God blessed Abraham so that Abraham could be a blessing.

God Bless America so that we can be a Blessing to the World.

The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.” “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ ” And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. (2 Kings 2:19-22 NIV)