Not On My Watch

Once you see something, the responsibility to act is inescapable.  In fact, this is almost intuitive to humanity.  Just over a month ago, my in-laws were in a near catastrophic car accident on a major interstate as a drunk driver hit them causing their vehicle to careen over forty yards off the road and down a steep embankment nearly hitting a guard rail.  An eyewitness to the accident, a registered nurse, pulled over beside the road and ran down the embankment to offer potential medical attention as they were sure to sustain injuries due to the violent collision.  She had already called the police as the accident was occurring, yet she did more than just call others.  She acted.  To her surprise, my mother and father-in-law, while shaken, sustained no injuries.  I was the first family member on the scene and spoke to the woman who had tears welling up in her eyes as she recounted the accident.  “If you saw what I saw you would understand that there is absolutely no way that anybody should have walked out of that car. It was truly a miracle!”  While this woman had no control over the situation that day and could not stop the drunk driver from hitting two grandparents as they drove to their granddaughter’s soccer game, there was one variable she could control—her willingness to act once she witnessed danger.  As far as she was concerned, she was prepared to do everything in her power to save others who found themselves in a dire situation.  She saw something and felt that she was responsible for acting.

Today, humanity is in a dire situation and requires a response.  I have been in full-time vocational local church ministry for twenty years and have seen declining spirituality in each successive generation, horrific abuse within the body of Christ, the strange silence that sweeps over Christians who are simply unwilling to expose sin, and parents who feel they are helpless as their children face the onslaught of new technology threatening to steal their hearts.  The situation facing the family and the church demands a response from those willing.  While we cannot control every situation, we can do everything in our power to save others in the midst of this danger.  This is the heart behind Not On My Watch.  To mobilize courageous followers of Christ who will take action in the midst of crises that we can no longer ignore.

A theme Scripture for us as we begin Not On My Watch is God’s words to the prophet Ezekiel.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. ¹⁹ But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”
Ezekiel 3:17-19 NIV

Because I believe that every word of Scripture is inspired, I understand this message to Ezekiel to be a message to us and the world we currently inhabit.  Consequently, when we see danger on the horizon and do not warn others of this danger, we are held spiritually responsible.  Not On My Watch exists because I refuse to accept the current reality I am witnessing. I won’t be silent as both the family and the Church are in peril.  I must take action!

But I am not content to take action on my own.  In fact, I realize that the giant that stands before us cannot be fought in isolation.  I have an increasing urgency to mobilize and empower others who care about what they are experiencing and who are burdened by what they are witnessing.  I have a rising passion to come alongside those who feel alone in the battle and need to know that there are others who will stand by them and run toward the danger together.  So as the world is experiencing the paralysis of inaction, I am calling on all who are willing to refuse to accept the status quo and run toward the danger together.  

Because as watchman…

We cannot accept declining spirituality among the generations.

I remember when I first began to preach publicly as a youth pastor about how the trends indicated that if nothing was done, America would experience the reality of a 4% biblical worldview.  Eighteen years have passed, ministry practice has remained largely unchanged, and many have come to accept that this is simply the new reality that we live in.  We did not arrive at this state because emerging generations singlehandedly decided to depart from a biblical worldview.  We are here because declining spirituality has occurred in every generation.  I suggest that we cannot passively accept this reality, and instead, must intervene if we are going to expect a different result.  It is incumbent upon us as watchmen that we:

• Model what it is to be a godly parent and spiritual leader.
• Model integrity within the Body of Christ.
• Place a priority on God’s Word and communicate it with passion.
• Ensure that our churches are places of biblical instruction not simply stations for Christian entertainment.
• Expect much more of the next generation than what we have come to expect.  They are up to the task!

We cannot accept hypocrisy in the Body of Christ.

It is well documented that hypocrisy of all forms exists within the Church.  Diane Langberg states succinctly, “We’ve all seen the news.  Power in God’s house has been abused in God’s name by notorious pastors and leaders who have been sexually involved with multiple sheep, who have used money fraudulently, and who have been verbally nasty demeaning, and controlling of others.  Or they have known about and been complicit in the cover-up ‘for the sake of the church.'”1  Those who would serve as watchmen do not have the stomach for such conduct because they are truth-tellers in a culture of deceit.  Refusing to accept hypocrisy in the Body of Christ requires exposing false shepherds and predators, and instead, cultivating the life of a protector.  God’s people protect and feed the flock, they do not feed upon the flock entrusted to them.  Hypocrisy in all its forms must be addressed in the Church.  However, it requires watchmen who are willing to exhibit boldness in the face of strong complacency.

We cannot accept the culture of silence within the Body of Christ.

Many leaders and followers within Christian organizations refuse to give voice to concerns they have out of fear that it will simply make matters worse.  Compounding this reality, many followers of Christ mistake kindness for silence when in fact it is simply cowardice.  However, watchmen understand that this option of silence is no longer available to them because as Jesus said, “²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs” (Matthew 10:27).  It is certainly time that followers of Christ begin to boldly speak in the daylight what God has revealed to them in the quiet place.

We cannot accept idleness on the sidelines.

It can be tempting at times to leave the work of what I am suggesting to others who have a greater platform.  After all, most people I know underestimate their influence in the world and feel as if there is someone else with greater qualifications who could bring greater influence to the task.  Certainly, I want to be a champion of the movements that have brought attention to the spiritual crises we are witnessing and have succeeded in mobilizing followers of Christ to action.  But Not On My Watch is distinct, as it is a movement that recognizes the unique influence that every follower of Christ possesses and calls them to, “reject mediocrity and to herald the role of the watchman who understands the times, speaks the truth, and lives an authentic life worth emulating.”  We cannot abdicate our unique role only to remain passive observers.

So, yes, it feels that our world is careening out of control down a steep embankment headed for certain disasters.  In the midst of this, we are faced with several options.  We could be escapists who run away from the danger, we could be social and spiritual commentators who pontificate about the danger, or we could be those who roll up our sleeves and mobilize others in the task of running toward the danger.  This is the only option available to those who desire to follow Christ in a world that would much rather live with blinders.  Let’s be individuals who take off the blinders to see the difficult reality around us and maintain the boldness of a watchman who declares, “Not on my watch!”

¹  Langberg, Diane, Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church (Grand Rapids, MI, 2020), 125, Kindle.