When Cities Burn and Pulpits Don’t: A Pastor’s Take on Evil in Los Angeles
America is not just drifting from God and toward evil — it is in open defiance of Him.
BY MATTHEW MAHER
TRUTH OVER TREND
When evil is praised and order is condemned, you know the times are twisted. The Governor of California and the Mayor of Los Angeles are calling law enforcement an “abuse of power” — while defending the rioters wreaking havoc in the streets. Like I said in this past weekend’s sermon: In an evil age, the algorithm rewards lawlessness.
But the Word of God exposes it:
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…” (Isaiah 5:20)
“Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)
The chaos we’re seeing in the streets of Los Angeles isn’t merely political or cultural — it’s spiritual. When a nation forgets God, what follows is not just decline, but judgment. What we’re witnessing is not just a border crisis; it’s a boundary crisis — the boundaries of morality, truth, and identity have been breached. And the result? Disorder, destruction, and deception.
Isaiah 1:7 offers a chilling parallel:
“Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.”
That’s not just ancient history — it reads like today’s headlines. A land once marked by blessing becomes a battleground when God is pushed out of the public square and His Word is no longer welcome in our schools, courts, and culture.
And I’ve said it before, but it’s still true—cities are on fire because pulpits aren’t on fire. When the Church grows cold, the culture grows dark. When shepherds are silent, wolves devour. And lawlessness in the streets is a symptom of lawlessness in the heart. We cannot expect peace in the land when we’ve declared war on heaven. We cannot demand justice while rejecting the very God who defines it. As the foundations crumble, people grope for answers in protests, politics, and platforms—but what we need is repentance.
What Must We Do?
Repentance is not just our only hope — it’s our only defense. Until we return to the Lord as a people, we will remain vulnerable as a nation. The question is not what will Washington do but will the Church rise? Because judgment begins in the house of God — and revival does too.
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)
Featured photo via screengrab Los Angeles Times/Robert Gauthier
PRAYER
Lord, we ask for your protection and intervention in Los Angeles. May those who trust in you continue to trust that you have a plan. We pray that the National Guard and Marine Infantry Battalion deployed to the troubled area are part of the solution in regard to the enforcement of law and peace in the city. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
