Ecclesiastes 7:18a The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.
I am appalled, but not surprised, at the riots in Britain. It’s shocking to see so much destruction and violence, but I believe this has been festering for a number of years.
The Church has failed an entire generation. We’ve allowed people to follow strange and selfish paths which lead to emptiness, anxiety, and aggression. I saw this happening in Scotland prior to me leaving in 1995. Christian beliefs were beginning to wane and humanism was on the rise. The Church was largely discarded as an anachronism. Traditional beliefs were ridiculed and much of the Calvinist Reformed Theology was mocked. In England, the Church gave in to cultural pressure, so that anyone could live as they liked and believe what they wanted. Eventually, the whole structure of the new society was shaped to disregard the Church and to entirely diminish Christianity.
They succeeded. And now anarchy and atheism have become so entrenched in this new generation that there are no longer any spiritual, ethical, or moral boundaries. Civilization in Europe, which has been held together by Christianity since the 7th century AD, is beginning to crumble. Those who ignored the warning signs are reaping what was sown. All that the Church can do is stand by the sidelines and watch society destroy itself. Greed and pride, selfishness and brazeness have overtaken the souls of the people. Foolishness and ignorance, poverty and violence are on the increase. Instead of progressing into the 21st century, Britain and other European nations are stepping back into the Dark Ages. The law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest has taken over from the love of Jesus and the strength of faith.
My heart bleeds for Britain, but I need to work over here. The signs of the same things are occurring and I am anxious about the younger generation. They are like sheep without a Shepherd and I worry that their society is going to be hardest upon those among them who keep their Christian convictions alive. Persecution seems so far away and is only an extreme possibility; but sometimes I wonder if it’s only a matter of years before committed Christians over here are going to be harassed, harangued, and hunted down as we once were during the Dark Ages.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are seeing the bitter fruits of faithlessness emerge violently and satanically in other places around the world. Your Church has been culpable in planting the seeds of discontent, unhappiness, and meaningless in the hearts, mind, and souls of this 21st century generation. We have neglected the true message of the Gospel and have allowed it to be replaced by a mythical morality, futile theology, and insipid ideology. Forgive us for being distracted, dishonorable, and disloyal to You. Help us to recover and restore our people through repentance, revival, and redemption. In Your Holy Name, we plead and pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest Chess series prints. It’s called “Knight takes Rook” and is a pop art image of the game. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/6024701992_405a71c6de_b.jpg
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