Good and Evil…
Ft McHenry
Our world is filled with good and evil. Which side do you find yourself on most of the time? This past week I found myself thinking this over a lot.
These days it seems there is a lot more evil than there used to be. Even in this past week with a school shooting, a stabbing on a train, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Things were not always like this. I’m sure there are a lot of people my age and older that can remember the world not being so bad. I remember as a kid in the 80’s and 90’s riding my bike everywhere, miles from home, no cell phone, and my parents had no clue where I was until I returned home at dark. Back then there weren’t as many bad things to happen as there are now. These days, I don’t even let my son ride his bike in our small neighborhood without him being supervised.
As a society how have we allowed things to get this far off track? We can point fingers at different political leaders, government programs, the economy, or even the church. We can blame all those things, but it won’t make any difference. The problem, as I see it, is a lack of individual morality. Morality can be defined as: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. We have lost that in our society.
What used to be good is now offensive, what used to be generally accepted is now questioned, and how much we cared for one another has dropped significantly. Generally speaking, we care more about ourselves than our neighbors. As a society, we typically will ignore people in need because we are too busy, or a lot of times simply unaware of anyone else needing our help.
The big question is how to fix it. I was inspired by Charlie Kirk this week, since there have been tons of his videos going around lately. I saw one where he explained why he did what he did. He did it to keep talking, he felt that when people who disagree quit talking, bad things happen. He equated it to marriage, the workplace, school, and society in general. It made a lot of sense. If you look at our nation, we are so divided. Our government can’t function correctly because one side can vote for the other side’s bill. Most of them can’t hold a rational conversation, let alone think for themselves.
That same mindset even goes into churches these days. One church thinks the other is wrong or doesn’t do something right, one has their music too loud or the wrong style, the next one feels the same way, and so on. Why do we cause so much strife in the church world? All that does is make it weaker.
I was so encouraged in the spring when I saw our church was partnering with a few other churches in the area for a challenge for the men who were willing to step up to challenge and work on themselves. It was awesome to see churches working together and having joint meetings for the opening ceremony and the midpoint meeting. It is such a rare thing these days to see churches opening their arms to each other.
It was also great to see so many men willing to step out in faith in order to grow themselves into something greater. These days it seems the weak, non-manly, men seem to be the ones celebrated, but to see a few hundred guys getting together to celebrate Jesus and become better men was incredible to be a part of. I realized that us men need a community where we can be open and vulnerable with each other in order to grow. I’m sure you have heard the saying that iron sharpens iron, well this was that saying in action.
I believe the world will go back to the good old days soon. I believe as a society we are headed back to seeking truth and not continuing to pander to groups spreading untruths. It will start with men stepping up, women backing them up, and the youth being raised with higher expectations of morality and integrity.
Proverbs 28: 1-2 NLT
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are bold as lions. When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.
I see us turning a corner in our country. I see us getting bolder, I see us beginning to challenge the untruths. This week become a bold lion, we need a whole lot more of them.