 Hi, my name is David Rosales, I'm the pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California. My wife Marie and I, along with Randy and Jeanette Walls, two very dear friends of ours, recently drove to the state of Washington to participate in a pastors and leaders conference. The trip took us through Nevada, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, and then back down to Southern California. Overall, we were gone for 11 days and drove over 2,000 miles, and one thing that has stood out to me has been how calm and peaceful the trip actually was. Now this stands out in stark contrast to what I've been watching on news channels. If all I ever knew about my state and country came to me through television and the internet, I would think that every city and every state was in constant turmoil. But the fact is, though there are major cities undergoing trauma, the overwhelming majority of cities are not. With that said, there's still a great need in America for healing. The question is, where will the healing come from? Some think that it will come from the discovery of a cure for the coronavirus. Others think that it will come with a national humbling of ourselves over what some call systemic racism, and all statues of perceived bigots will be removed from public squares. Some seem to think the removal of history being taught in public schools will speed the cure, and others think that stamping out ideas they don't agree with will solve the problem. There are those who say that cities should defund the police, and others who say the greatest danger in these times of health concerns is the gathering of people in churches who sing and worship God. These are the dangerous people. You know who these people are. They're the ones who say we should open bars, tattoo parlors, abortion clinics, because they are essential. They're the ones who say that we should allow open protests if they're against Trump that gather thousands of participants because these people have a right to free speech. These are the ones who say that we should wear masks everywhere that we go because they'll protect us from the virus and insist we should allow criminals out of prison and jail because they may catch the virus instead of simply distributing masks to inmates. They insist on letting criminals go but are willing to jail and heavily find a pastor who dares resist the governor's orders to restrict live church services. Let the criminals go, but jail the criminal pastor. Think about that for a moment. There are others who think that healing will come when you get a new president. Even Christians seem to think that the answer will be found in an election and are being swayed to agree with the angry mob who have been campaigning against Trump for the last three and a half years. Is that the answer, a new president? As a Christian and as a pastor, I must say that the answer will not be found in a different sinner occupying the White House. While some of my fellow pastors seem to have turned into political mouthpieces, I cannot help but continue to believe that the answer will always reside in remaining faithful to Jesus and living out the gospel. This would include living righteously as well as sharing the message of the cross and the transformation that occurs when someone actually begins to follow Jesus. We used to simply say, getting saved. I'm old enough now to say that I've never seen good come out of the church climbing into bed with the world and can't help but believe that the Jesus movement of the 70s was quenched when the church began to think that it was important to influence the world through politics. Of course, we vote. And of course, it's our desire to see our cities and nation change for the better. But we must remember that the influence we wield is one of goodness. We speak the truth in love. We live for Jesus openly. We communicate the gospel to others. We worship Him in spirit and in truth. But let us be careful that we don't fall prey to the temptation of thinking the answer lies in a political party or president because it doesn't. The answer is found in Jesus and the task of the church is to take orders from him and share with others what he can do in their lives. As an army veteran, I was issued various pieces of armor and was trained in how to use them. As a believer, I was issued weapons of warfare and have found that since my enemy is spiritual, the weapons of my warfare are not to be fleshly. Put on the armor of God. Pray for our nation. Be ready to share the hope that we have in Jesus. He's the only hope this broken nation has. This is David Rosales, pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California.