: Kristin, your pessimistic view of modern society is rivaled (and perhaps surpassed) only by my own. But I've learned to be very suspicious of philosophies that suggest we do NOTHING in response to the problems that surround us. Seems pretty clear to me that this is WHY things suck so bad down here in the first place i.e. nobody gives a damn about much of anything unless its in their own backyard (and even THEN sometimes they don't care). While we're all waiting for a long haired, white Jesus to fly down out of the clouds and "save" us, would it really be such a bad thing to spend a little time tidying up the place? Until Revelations is completely fulfilled and you are high-fiving Jesus as you ascend into heaven, wouldn't you prefer to live in a world where people cared about each other and their environment rather than a world where nobody gives a damn about anything?Nowhere in the bible does Jesus say do nothing until I return. In fact he calls us to pray the words "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Now how is His will going to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, if we, who have His life inside of us, don't carry this out. I am sure in heaven there is no litter, no wars, no cruelty towards his creatures, no cutting down rain forests. Christians do care about these issues but we are called to do it differently than what the secular world has strived to do and still fails at.
Let's take environmental issues for instance. The world thinks that if they focus on the problem and start mass media compaigns towards awareness that things will change. Don't get me wrong, these are good things but they do nothing really do impact the kind of change that they desire. Most people are aware. The problem is they DON"T REALLY CARE. They are blind and self absorbed. Unfortunately most humans are rarely influenced by tragedy or the reality of social, political or environmental causes unless they are individually impacted by them. If you ask the average Jo what he is trully concerned about and where his thoughts are directed during the day, he will most likely tell you of his own problems ie.; his mortgage payments, his own health, his relationship issues etc. Sure he knows the world has it's problems, but as long as they are affecting someone other than himself, the chances of getting significant support from him are next to nil.
Jesus gives us one commandment which is to love God with all our HEARTS, then love our brothers and sisters as ourselves. He says this sums up the ten commandments.
Let me break this down.
If we were loving God, which is to enter into a relationship with him, quit living for ourselves and trust that God will provide all of our needs, then we would no longer be so self absorbed. No longer would we be so consumed with making the almighty dollar because we would trust God. If we all come to know His glory and see ourselves in Him, we would no longer strive to esteem ourselves with fancy cars, social status, and all the insane things we do to look good in the eyes of men. This would no longer matter. Loving God, takes our eyes off the problem and trusts in God's solutions and the power to carry it out. Loving God takes our eyes of ourselves so that we can start to really see Him and His will for us. Loving God takes away our fears and insecurities and casts it out. Loving God takes away our envy and jealousy toward others because we no longer measure our own prosperity and worth by how others are doing. We measure our worth by how God sees us. Loving God takes away our anger towards others because we are no longer so concerned about are own wounds and ego. We have received forgiveness and grace and it compells us to extend it to others. Loving God sets us free to live life abundantly without all of the emotional and financial stress.
When we love God, we are then free to love and care for others because our energy and time is no longer focussed on ourselves. If I am operating in love, I am not going to sleep with my neighbors spouse because love does not seperate what God has brought together. If I am operating in love, I am not going to take something someone else has worked for because I will care more about him then myself. If I am operating in love, I am not going to take someone elses life rather I will give him or her my own life by doing what I can to improve it. If I am operating in love, I am not going to make anything into an idol. I will not need to idolize my own wisdom, looks, money, prestige, social status in order to exhault myself. For love is humble and doesn't seek to gain anything for itself. If I am operating in love, I am not going to use the name of the Lord in vein because I will understand the power of words. I will understand that words have the power to tear down or build up. I will understand that most of the things I regret in life and have suffered remourse for is what I have SAID when operating outside of love. With this understanding comes the understanding that it is not love to use God, who IS LOVE, in the form of cursing. If I am operating in love I am not going to falsely accuse my brother. For slander is born out of anger and the need to bring someone else down to make myself look better and this is selfish and not born out of love. If I am operating in love, I will not covet or envy what others have. Instead I will rejoice in their blessings.
So when the world is screaming, yelling, killing, in protest to social injustice. We are called to love. We are called to give our lives to the different causes God calls us to fight for. Believe it or not there is a Christian involved in every worthy cause. You may not be aware of us because we don't fight with words of slander. We don't fight with guns or weapons. We don't fight by trying to change the minds of people with statistics and intellectualism. We fight with the sword of truth. We fight in peace. We fight by proclaiming the good news. Our mission is not to change the minds of people but rather the hearts of people. So that they might know the glory of God's love and in return extend it to others, thus starting a chain reaction. We are called to serve. This means laying down our own lives for the sake of others. This is a tall order and can never be filled without first being filled with God Himself.
You will probably say this has nothing to do with the problems the world faces. But I tell you the truth when I say it is only when everyone is operating in love that the world will be at peace. The problems we face are not political, environmental, or social. These problems are just the fruit of a spiritually dead tree that has no root. The problem is not with one group of people or one party of politicains. The problem is first individual. The more individuals that fall into the same deceptions or apathy, the bigger the problem. When men and women behold the love of God and start to walk in this love, the world will change. In fact it has been changing. Right now the world is filled with people praying, loving, caring and giving their lives for the improvement of society. I don't think you can fully understand how much darker this world would be if Christians were to suddenly all disappear of the face of the earth. You are being deceived if you think that we are not pro-avctive. You are being deceived if you think we are all sitting on our duffs, doing nothing because "Jesus is coming anyway." We labour and labour for the love of God to appear to His creation. For we know that abiding in the awsome, bondage breaking love in Jesus is the only true solution. And this love has motivated us to do many things for others and their causes that we would be to self absorbed thus powerless to do on our own.
When Jesus returns, it will be to set up His kingdom. This kingdom will not be filled with strife, pettiness, bitterness, indifference and division like the world we have lived in since the fall. When he comes His glory will fill the world. His presence will humble the prideful, and His love will cast out all fear, hate and everything that is trully behind the problems we have faced from the beginning. Intellectualism, technology, new philosophies will never perfect His creation. This world is one big spritual problem. Trying to apply philosophy or intellectualism to selfishness and sin is like trying to heal a gunshot wound with a nice message. It only makes sense that eventually the very one who started it all and finished it on the cross, will return to perfect it all.
In His Love,
Kristin
None.
