I have a pet peeve. No one seems to wipe their shoes off any more on the mats at every mall entrance. Nowadays if you want to tail someone, you can easily follow their muddy footprints. What has happened? My mother warned me ominously about the penalty for failing to use doormats for their intended use. Do mothers do that any more?
OK, I’m old fashioned. But am I the only one who has noticed this decline in good manners? And what about please and thank you? Are they doomed to join the dust-pile of archaic expressions?
Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. Like the infinitesimal changes that herald climate change, these lapses signal social deterioration. Societies gradually decline, like water seeking the lowest elevation. It’s some kind of cultural law of entropy.
Strange. While secular pundits continue to expand the frontiers of moral freedom our social fabric unravels. Freedom to sleep around. Freedom to no-fault divorce. Freedom to abortion. Freedom to same-sex marriage. And now freedom to have three parents.
Which brings me to our calling as Christian writers—to proclaim liberty to the captives. What captives? The captives Jesus talked about. "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8:34). No matter what our society’s libertarians may declare, God’s moral imperatives are changeless. Almighty God has not repealed the ten commandments.
Like the rails that guide a train to its destination, the moral principles of God guide mankind to freedom. By contrast, disobedience to God’s revealed will entangles mankind in a web of destructive consequences—hence, slavery to sin. The situation we see around us every day bears witness to the biblical diagnosis.
Democratic freedoms owe their origin to the gospel of Jesus Christ. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (Gal. 5:1). The advance of anarchy owes its encouragement to the rejection of revealed truth. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).
May I suggest that we use every skill we possess to expose our generation to the roots of anarchy and the sources of liberty. But before we tackle social ills, we would be wise to share Paul’s exhortation with our fellow Christians; "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1).
Sometimes subtle pressures in our churches become gossamer fetters that bind us to the expectations of fellow Christians, rather than to those of Christ. We will serve God most sincerely when free to express our own personality and gifts.
Looking for a place to feel inspired and challenged? Like to share a smile or a laugh? Interested in becoming more familiar with Canadian writers who have a Christian worldview? We are writers who live in different parts of Canada, see life from a variety of perspectives, and write in a number of genres. We share the goal of wanting to entertain and inspire you to be all you can be with God's help.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
Write Canada is more than a professional networking conference. It’s a safe place where beginning and intermediate writers can learn ...
-
by Rev Ed Hird One of the best loved Christmas Carols is the 146-year-old carol: Good King Wenceslas. In 1853, John Mason Neale chose Wences...
-
Inspiration hardly strikes on an empty stomach. For this, and other reasons, writers must eat. And if you like minced beef (and you...
-
I know it's only the 27th of November, but judging from the abundant lights in my neighbourhood, the holiday programs on TV, the parades...
-
By Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird We hear a lot about essential workers and essential services in these COVID-19 times. At 7 pm each ...
-
There are many things I fear. Having a flat tire on a freeway. Or worse, having a flat tire at night. The result of this fear is that I avoi...
-
As an author, I take great pains to choose the right name for all my characters. Even the animals in my stories get the same careful deliber...
-
What a gorgeous day for a round of golf amidst a beautiful setting! The course, while close to town and nestled between several roads, is...
-
By Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird Corrie ten Boom once said: “I’ve never had the joy of bringing to birth a child, but I’ve often had th...
-
Love and chocolate—I can’t think of a better reason to declare February 14 as an official winter holiday. For the moment, I’ll skip over div...
1 comment:
Well said, Eric. You wax eloquent on a topic close to my heart. Thank you.
Post a Comment