So Now What?

     OK. I've had some time to think about things since my last post. I have searched for the sunny side of things and tried to come back with a more upbeat post, especially since it's Christmas Eve!

     The conclusion I keep coming back to: We no longer live in a Christian culture. That chapter of the Church is dead in the United States of America, and it is probably true in Europe and other western nations as well.

     There was a time when Christ and the Church took center stage in the town square. Stores were closed on Sundays. Prayer in school was the accepted norm. There was no such thing as no-fault divorce. There was a certain standard for musical lyrics on the radio. There were no atheistic groups posting anti-Christmas billboards in Times Square that read, "Keep Merry, Kill the Myth." 

      These trends are obviously sad and troubling. More important than a sentimental longing to get back to Mayberry is the realization that a new generation is growing up without knowledge of Christ, without a base knowledge of the Bible, and with little to no use for the Church. Also, legislation in our nation is becoming more at-odds with traditional, biblical values. I have already mentioned no-fault divorce, but the issue of gay marriage will be decided this year by the U.S. Supreme Court. And although we cannot legislate morality, the laws of this nation have a way of shaping and re-inforcing what we value as moral or immoral.

     None of this is new. I am not saying anything in this post that others haven't beaten into the ground. I think I am just finally awaking to this realization.

     The question now is, "So what?" What are the implications of this realization? Do I settle for perpetual frustration with every headline I read? Do we retreat from the world like the Essenes or do we stay in the game?

     The temptation for me -- always -- is to retreat in the wilderness. It would be so much easier for me to detach myself emotionally from grandiose expectations. The words of the The Lord's Prayer, however, challenge us to work for God's will on earth as it is in heaven. We may not win, but we must continue to work and trust God to bring about the results that He wants. 

     There is something very simple and beautiful about Jesus words in Matthew 5:14: "You are a city on a hill. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." All that we can do is to cultivate healthy spiritual practices in our lives, feed our minds, nurture our relationships, and work faithfully at our craft (whatever that craft may be). When we do this, the Light of the world will overcome the darkness that is now at work.