Nothing New Under The Sun
One of the things we hear in modern society is how bad things are today. Especially in the past year we have seen that society seems to be crashing around us. The pace of change is a difficult thing to measure.
We Don't Live In A Panacea
Are things really worse than they were 50 or 100 years ago? Do we experience a greater evil or a more darker society than 50 or 100 years ago?
As much as our minds like to set a high standard of judgment, we do not live in a pacacea.
I know we live in America. But, that doesn't make us immune from evil or difficulty. We all face hardship. And that's ok. It is part of human nature in the 21st century and the 1st century. We may need to change our perspective on hardship. Because without difficulty you will never become as strong as you are able to be.
I was thinking this week about all of the people who complain about how bad our culture is today. How America and the world is in such a bad place right now. We know the stats and have seen the degradation of our society.
There is always a large part of the country thinking negatively and critically about the condition of society. The spiraling changes are significant:
-moral vacuum (growth in addictions and loss of principles)
-media (television, radio, print, digital, and internet revolution)
-music and entertainment industry (lessening values in programming and loss of control by the networks)
-athletic and sports industry (materialism and narcissism)
-modernist to post-modern worldview shift (from an enlightenment mind that had a humanist and moral template ready to solve human and world issues to no universal code of right and wrong and apathy and carelessness)
But, is there really a difference between today's culture and years ago? Look at the headlines:
“Bank Manager Found Guilty of Embezzlement”
“Mass Killer Charged”
“20 Dead in Theatre Collapse”
“President Appoints First Jewish Justice to Court”
“Marijuana Crazed Youth Kills Fellow Students”
“New Housing Problems on Horizon”
“Crowd Vents Anger by Destroying property”
“Racial Riots Break Out in White Neighborhood”
“Teens Growing up too Quickly”
Sound familiar? Probably. But these are headlines from the 1900’s to the 1930’s newspapers. Just 100 years ago.
Is the Problem Society or People?
Are things really any different or worse than 50 or 100 years ago? Yes and no. I think people are the same and society may be worse.
Evil may be more prevalent. But, certainly not more severe. Listen, human nature in the 1st century or the 21st century is human nature.
Ecclesiastes repeats the concept of “there is nothing new under the sun”, and, “it is not for wisdom that you ask if the former days were worse than the latter days”. Some great commentary on this topic.
In Matthew 24 and 2 Timothy 3, the scriptures say evil will increase. But, are we talking about the increase of sin that took place in the 500’s the 1500’s or the 2000’s? And, at the same time, the scriptures also promise us that the latter days will be greater than the former days. In other words, evil and good will exist side by side.
It could be that human nature rules and and defines the times. Whether in the 1st century or the 21st century.
Finally
If people are the same and society is the worse, there is a more important question here. The question is not only about the increase of hardship or evil in society. But, we should focus on the increasing grace and goodness in people also.
Maybe the more important question is, “How will I meet the evil in society as a believe?” That is the answer to the question. The one thing that should be more important to us is our spiritual formation.
The solution is simple. Our spiritual maturity should be the focus of our lives and not trying to solve the question of whether there is more hardship in the world. Because mature spiritual disciples will always override the evil in society. And bring the change we need.