Most Adventists are familiar with the Spirit of Prophecy’s counsel to get out of the cities. In many places, we have been advised to seek country homes instead of city homes. Here are a couple of those admonitions,
I urge our people to make it their lifework to seek for spirituality. Christ is at the door. This is why I say to our people, Do not consider it a privation when you are called to leave the cities and move out into the country places. Here there await rich blessings for those who will grasp them. By beholding the scenes of nature, the works of the Creator, by studying God's handiwork, imperceptibly you will be changed into the same image.—Manuscript 85, 1908.
Parents: Get Homes in the Country—So long as God gives me power to speak to our people, I shall continue to call upon parents to leave the cities and get homes in the country, where they can cultivate the soil and learn from the book of nature the lessons of purity and simplicity. The things of nature are the Lord's silent ministers, given to us to teach us spiritual truths. They speak to us of the love of God and declare the wisdom of the great Master Artist (AH 146.3).
So how should we respond when a liberal college instructor in California says that people who don’t live in cities should be shamed for the bad people they are? Jackson Kernion, who has reportedly taught at least 11 philosophy courses at the California university, made the comments last Wednesday,
Kernion started going after rural citizens, saying they should have higher health care, pay more in taxes and be forced to live an "uncomfortable" life for rejecting "efficient" city life, Campus Reform reported.
As Adventists, we are faced with a simple decision, should we believe inspired counsel, or buy into the fervid ravings of city-dwellers?
Here’s an even better question:
How long would Kernion Jackson last without a latte and a salon appointment? It's a shame that many manicured young men of today don't seem to understand how to survive without modern conveniences. Rural America isn't looking back and pretending to live some nostalgic former pastoral life. That life never stopped.
I wonder how Kernion will survive when the power is shut off for millions of Californians and they have no idea what to do without Candy Crush. If that day ever comes (and we have reason to believe that it will), we here in the rural lands of America will not waste time criticizing the poor choices that soft men like Kernion made by relying too heavily on smartphones and take-out instead of honing some basic human skills of survival and self-reliance.
Like a good neighbor, we will be here, willing to show people like Kernion what's great about the country and our chosen way of life while we help them out of darkness and chaos.
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“Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3).