I happened upon a news story while sorting through the news of the day, an AP piece in which the title summed up most of the article: Everything seemingly is spinning out of control.
Really? I thought to myself. Here's some excerpts:
Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
---------------
"It is pretty scary," said Charles Truxal, 64, a retired corporate manager in Rochester, Minn. "People are thinking things are going to get better, and they haven't been. And then you go hide in your basement because tornadoes are coming through. If you think about things, you have very little power to make it change."
---------------
The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance.
---------------
And maybe this is what the 21st century will be about — a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.
---------------
My response when I read this? It's bad, but it's not as bad as it's been before, nor as bad as it will get. First of all, it's not as bad as it's been before and the Bible gives me a pretty good idea that this is the case. Take Genesis 6:1 and following. God sees that man's wickedness is great and that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Then the very next verse says "and it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Genesis 6 is what is known as "the days of Noah" and they seem to be a sort of benchmark for God to measure wickedness and depravity. In fact Jesus uses Noah's time to give us a hint as to when His second coming shall be: But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matt. 24:37). So, although it is bad (and not getting much better- see 2 Tim. 3:13) it has been worse and will be once again. But as long as we're here, we have a chance to parner with God to forestall the decay and depravity- provided we don't add to it with our actions.
Just a thought...
Really? I thought to myself. Here's some excerpts:
Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
---------------
"It is pretty scary," said Charles Truxal, 64, a retired corporate manager in Rochester, Minn. "People are thinking things are going to get better, and they haven't been. And then you go hide in your basement because tornadoes are coming through. If you think about things, you have very little power to make it change."
---------------
The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance.
---------------
And maybe this is what the 21st century will be about — a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.
---------------
My response when I read this? It's bad, but it's not as bad as it's been before, nor as bad as it will get. First of all, it's not as bad as it's been before and the Bible gives me a pretty good idea that this is the case. Take Genesis 6:1 and following. God sees that man's wickedness is great and that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Then the very next verse says "and it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Genesis 6 is what is known as "the days of Noah" and they seem to be a sort of benchmark for God to measure wickedness and depravity. In fact Jesus uses Noah's time to give us a hint as to when His second coming shall be: But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matt. 24:37). So, although it is bad (and not getting much better- see 2 Tim. 3:13) it has been worse and will be once again. But as long as we're here, we have a chance to parner with God to forestall the decay and depravity- provided we don't add to it with our actions.
Just a thought...
No comments:
Post a Comment