When shrimpers lead the way: A lesson for faithful Christians to engage the culture | Eastern North Carolina Now

When Shrimpers Lead the Way: A Lesson for Faithful Christians to Engage the Culture
By Rev. Mark Creech
revmarkcreech.org

Last week, hundreds of shrimpers from North Carolina’s coast flooded the halls of the North Carolina General Assembly, sounding the alarm against a bill that threatened to sink their livelihood. Initially, the legislation was designed to enhance fishing access for flounder and red snapper. But it was hijacked by a last-minute amendment that would have effectively banned shrimp trawling in inshore waters, waters upon which the state’s few remaining commercial shrimpers rely entirely. In what some called “Shrimpgate,” the legislative maneuver nearly gutted an entire way of life for those living on the state’s coast.

But then came the response.

From places like Marshallberg and Beaufort, men and women, many with generations of salt in their veins, made the long haul to Raleigh. Some skipped work, others traveled for hours, but all arrived with a burning conviction that they could not remain silent while their livelihood was threatened. According to the Raleigh N&O, one shrimper, 70-year-old David Lewis, brought his wife and son to speak on behalf of the legacy their family has cherished since the 1800s. Though not a commercial shrimper himself, Lewis knew this fight wasn’t just about jobs but heritage, dignity, and survival.

Guess what? The Shrimpers won! They won against all odds of stopping the bill’s passage. And they prevailed because they showed up.

This should be a clarion call to conservative evangelical Christians across this state and nation. If shrimpers can rally to protect the fruits of their labor, how much more should God’s people rally to defend the truths of His Word and the moral fabric of our society?

Christians have watched the slow erosion of our nation’s spiritual health for decades, while most have been cravenly silent and disengaged. The foundations of marriage, gender, the sanctity of life, religious liberty, and parental rights have come under relentless assault. The culture didn’t simply drift – it marched, with pride, away from its Judeo-Christian moorings, while the majority of our nation’s pulpits offered no opposition. Far too often, the Church has been content to merely pray about it from a distance while the opposition continues to seize ground.

Of course, not all churches have been derelict. Some have engaged, and the few that have over the years have made a difference. We see it in President Trump’s election, recent Supreme Court decisions such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and many more. We seem to have reached a significant turning point, and it’s because a few Christians showed up to do battle in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Think of it. If the shrimpers of North Carolina had not taken a stand and raised their voices and put themselves in the path of a bad public policy initiative, it would have become law, and one more cornerstone of coastal life would have been toppled. The Shrimpers didn’t wait for someone else to fix the problem. They didn’t assume their concerns would be heard if they stayed home. They sacrificed. They mobilized. They made lawmakers look them in the eye.

Where are the modern-day Daniels, Esthers, and Elijahs willing to do the same for truth and righteousness?

The public square is not off-limits to believers. It is another one of our mission fields. We need only look to the shrimpers to be reminded that courage is contagious and effective.

Some may say, “Well, the shrimpers were protecting their own self-interest.” Perhaps. But can the same not be said for us, in the most profound sense? When Christian values vanish from the public conscience, families suffer, children are confused, freedoms shrink, and the soul of our nation is starved. Our stake in these matters is not economic – it is eternal.

Moreover, just as the Southern Shrimp Alliance rightly pointed to President Trump’s executive order supporting the seafood industry, we must, too, rally behind policies, platforms, and public servants committed to restoring what has been lost in our moral and spiritual heritage – policies that align with the eternal decrees of the Supreme Ruler of the universe.

What if Christian men and women began attending school board meetings, legislative hearings, or city council votes with the same intensity and purpose? What if we stopped outsourcing cultural engagement to politicians or pundits and began embodying it ourselves?

The seas may be rough today, but the Captain has not abandoned ship. Christ is Lord over every inch of this world, including politics, policy, and public discourse. But He expects His people to man the sails.

So, to the shrimpers of North Carolina: thank you not only for preserving a cherished North Carolina industry but also for modeling what grit, unity, and conviction look like in action. May your courage stir the Church to defend God’s Holy truth in the public arena.