Fight By Flight

Why Leaving Godless Places Is Loving Godless Places

by Joel Webbon

My book, “Fight By Flight: Why Leaving Godless Places Is Loving Godless Places,” recently sparked quite the controversy online. Many have asked, “Why an entire book dedicated to the topic of whether or not Christians should leave blue states? Why devote so much time to this particular topic, especially a niche topic that’s likely to be polarizing?”

My answer is simple: Because I spent several years of my life compelling Christians to stay in California (where I previously lived and pastored), it seems only right to devote some time and energy to righting the ship. This is not some kind of gospel-less penance. Rather, the Scripture teaches that each of us should strive to do good works in keeping with our repentance (Matthew 3:8). That said, I recognize that I must be careful not to make the same mistake, only this time, in the other direction. Therefore, my desire is for Christians to seriously consider whether or not their choice to remain in hostile contexts will inhibit them from full obedience to all of Christ’s commands. I want these Christians to know that it is permissible, and in some cases even commendable, to leave. At the same time, I want Christians to know there are exceptions to the rule. In some cases it is permissible, and even right, to stay.

To this end, my little book is intended to serve as merely the kindling for the fire of serious thought, prayer, and discussion. Ultimately, the decision is up to you, your conscience, and the Lord.

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BUT WHAT ABOUT MISSIONARIES?

Some of you may be wondering, “What about Christians who live in places that California so greatly aspires to become? You know, places such as Venezuela, North Korea, or China?” This is a perfectly reasonable question that deserves a thoughtful response. To determine whether or not a Christian should choose to live in California, we must recognize that countries such as Venezuela, North Korea, and China differ from California in at least one key respect: The vast majority of Christians living under these oppressive regimes do not have the option of leaving! In God’s providence, he determines both when and where people will live. For much of human history (and still even today), many people have very little say in the matter. However, as citizens of the United States of America (as well as citizens of other first-world countries), we have unparalleled freedom in determining where to raise a family.

A further inquiry might be this: “But what about the concept of missionaries? What about those who choose to forsake their liberties to go into the darkest places of our world and make disciples for Jesus?” To this, I will respond by simply reminding the reader of what a missionary is.

A missionary is someone who is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). We tend to forget that last part. The Great Commission involves more than merely conversions and baptisms. It involves discipleship. Fortunately, Jesus was kind enough not to leave the task of defining discipleship up to us. So what is discipleship according to Jesus? Discipleship is teaching those who we baptize into the name of the Triune God to obey all of Christ’s commands. So missionaries (and all Christians for that matter) have been tasked with teaching others how to submit to the complete Lordship of Jesus in every area of life.

So how do we teach people about the goodness of Christ’s Lordship over the family if we deliberately prolong our singleness, delay childbearing, and abdicate our parental duties by shipping our children off to the state so that our wives can provide a second income to cover the high cost of living? We don’t. Are there some Christians who are spiritually and financially fit for being missionaries in California? Certainly. Just as there are some Christians who are fit to be missionaries in a place like China. But to pretend that this is the norm simply because what I’m suggesting is controversial is incredibly foolish.

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PLAYING THE LONG GAME

By God’s grace, I had the privilege of baptizing over 100 people during my pastoral service in California. But over the years, I have come to desire more than merely planting churches and baptizing converts. Please don’t misunderstand me. I never want anything less than this. I have simply grown to desire something more. When I moved from Texas to California, my only aspiration was to plant a church and see people come to saving faith in Jesus. In part, this was due to my specific theological convictions. At the time, I was not even aware that I held to such doctrines. But these doctrines were there, all the same, influencing every decision I made.

For instance, I assumed that Jesus (who would likely come back at any moment) had decreed that everything in this world would continually spiral out of control until he returned. I also assumed that the only thing of any eternal value was preaching the gospel and saving lost souls. Aspirations of founding schools, starting businesses, or running for local political office all seemed like worldly and carnal endeavors. Sure, these things may have provided some benefit to Christians and society at large. Still, I assumed that the value would likely be short-lived. After all, I had been taught that even such atrocities as abortion would never actually end by legislation but only by heart transformation. And for anyone who may be skeptical of that statement’s legitimacy, allow me to point out that the words “legislation” and “transformation” rhyme, so it must be true. I never stopped to wonder why there are approximately 1,000,000 abortions in America each year before the overturning of Roe, but only about 16,000 homicides. Apparently, legislation does matter. As it turns out, people tend to gravitate toward whatever option of murder happens to be legal. Yes, we want to see hearts genuinely changed by the power of the gospel. But throughout human history, deterring outward manifestations of wickedness (even in the case of unbelievers) through “the Second Use of God’s Law” has also proven to be quite useful.

Suppose all we are called to do is plant churches and preach the gospel. Why not commit to exclusively doing this in the most challenging places in the world where the gospel appears to be needed the most? Heck, why settle with a place like California? If we were really serious about following Jesus, we would all move to North Korea. On the other hand, if it’s possible that Jesus might tarry for a few thousand more years, and if he intends to restore this world (instead of merely throwing it all away and completely starting over), then there may be some merit to the idea of a tactical and temporary retreat. Perhaps, Christians would be wise to momentarily fall back from behind enemy lines to rebuild and regroup for a generation or two.

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BUT WHAT ABOUT JOHN MACARTHUR?

A common objection I’ve received is this: But what about John MacArthur? There are few pastors who have served more faithfully than John MacArthur. And as you probably know, MacArthur has spent over 50 years ministering in none other than the deep blue state of California. For many, MacArthur is basically viewed as the Protestant Pope. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more respected man. In other words, if MacArthur has been able to faithfully minister in California for so many years, why can’t others?

The answer is quite simple. John MacArthur was born in 1939, and he began pastoring Grace Community Church in 1969. Ronald Reagan was the Governor of California when John MacArthur first became a pastor. In short, California was a completely different world. Over these past few years, as Governor Gavin Newsom was locking people in their homes while lavishly dining at The French Laundry, MacArthur was prayerfully determining where to faithfully finish his race. As I’m writing this, John is currently 83 years old. He just finished preaching at his world-renowned Shepherd’s Conference, and quite frankly, I’d be surprised (albeit, pleasantly surprised) if we see him preaching at next year’s conference. Again, MacArthur is now finishing his race. But for the average person reading this book, it is likely that you are determining where to start your race. There is a dynamic difference between these two decisions.

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FIGHT BY FLIGHT

We often speak of the choice between “fight” or “flight.” But what if it were possible to do both? What if it were possible to fight “by” flight? What if collectively, we had the power to bring an entire state like California to its knees?

While we’re on this point, there appears to be a powerful lesson in the parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15:14-17: “And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!'” Did you catch that? “No one gave him anything.” And what immediately happened next? The passage says that “he came to his senses.” One of the worst things that could have occurred for this rebellious young man would have been if a member of his father’s household had tracked him down and given him a handout. Only when the prodigal experienced the consequences of his choices did he decide to make a change. So although some Christians may be called to stay, the vast majority of Christians need to stop propping up godless states at the expense of their own families. We need to stop supplying handouts to the prodigal son. Let’s allow this rebellious teenager to eat a little pig food for a while. Perhaps God will grant the gift of repentance and permit places like California to come to their senses.

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IT’S NOT ONLY “HOW” YOU VOTE, BUT “WHERE” YOU VOTE

The 2020 Presidential Election was a landmark moment in American history. The election, which saw Joe Biden emerge victorious, was one of the most hotly contested in the country’s history.

Donald J. Trump’s impact on American society, despite his polarizing personality and rhetoric, cannot be understated. During his presidency, he appointed 234 judges, politicians, and lawyers for federal judgeships, with three of these appointments reaching the Supreme Court. These appointments had a lasting impact on American society, including the overturning of the landmark case of Roe v. Wade. Regardless of how you feel about Trump, there are children alive today that would have been murdered in their mother’s womb if he had not been elected President in 2016. It really is that simple.

Now, at the risk of over-speculating, what would have happened if Donald Trump had been reelected in November 2020? For starters, Trump would have taken a completely different approach toward the energy crisis and the use of fossil fuels. Biden’s regulations on drilling and fracking have done little more than contribute to massive inflation, both in America and on the global stage. A Trump presidency also might have eliminated the threat of nuclear war between Russia, Ukraine, and other European nations. And of course, the debacle in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of 13 U.S. service members, could have been easily prevented. In short, the whole world could have been a safer and more prosperous place.

However, my purpose in bringing up the 2020 Presidential Election is not merely to discuss the importance of “how” one votes, but “where” one votes. Biden, who won six key battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin), defeated Trump, who only won three (Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio). And yet, if Trump had won just four of Biden’s six battleground states, he would have secured enough electoral college votes to win the presidency, despite still losing the popular vote by a significant margin (with the help of some funny business, I have no doubt). Although Trump lost the popular vote by approximately 10 million, he actually only needed 76,514 votes to win. The key is where these votes are cast. 76,514 votes, cast respectively in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Wisconsin, would have been sufficient to provide Trump with the electoral advantage.

Now here’s the important question for the purpose of our discussion: How many votes did Trump get in the state of California? The answer is approximately 6 million. And was Trump close to winning this state? Not even remotely. Biden received twice as many votes in California as Trump did (approximately 12 million). In other words, 6 million conservatives/Christians in California flushed their vote down the “electoral toilet.” And to my shame, I must admit that I was one of them, since my family and I did not leave the state until December 2020.

Just think about that for a moment. If less than 100,000 conservatives/Christians living in California had moved to Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, or Wisconsin before the 2020 election, the whole world might look different. 6 million votes for Trump in California, and all we needed was 76,514 (less than 1 and a half percent). With all the rhetoric we’ve had to endure these past few years about the importance of “loving our neighbors,” I can’t help but wonder how many of our neighbors (both in America and across the world) would be in an objectively better position if just a few Christians in California would have been willing to give up their dream of living by the beach.

It’s too late to go back. What’s done is done. Biden is President (well, someone using Biden as a puppet is President). Either way, all we can do is move forward. Christians, such as myself, missed a golden opportunity to move out of godless places to impact the world for the better. However, the principle of thinking strategically about where we choose to live is timeless. Progressive cities, states, and countries have been much like the proverbial pot of gradually heated water. The frog inside is eventually boiled alive because it never seems to notice the subtle changes in temperature.

In many ways, I thank the Lord for the crazy events of 2020. In his merciful providence, God caused the temperature to spike in such a way that hundreds of thousands of Christians have finally taken the hint.

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