Our nation is a mess. Society is crazy. But we can still be joyful and at peace in the Lord.
We can all agree that 2020 was crazy, right? And 2021, so far, hasn’t improved things too much. In fact, it seems to me that, over the course of the last few years, our society (and I’m speaking especially as an American) has just gotten more and more …. crazy.
There just doesn’t seem to be a better word for it.
There is a lot of confusion, hypocrisy, inconsistency, corruption, controversy, division, bitterness, hatred, and despair.
It isn’t just that we’re dealing with a global pandemic or increasingly turbulent political conflicts and messes, although…
Those things would certainly be enough in and of themselves!
The bottom line is that we all know we’re in a mess and it’s hard to get our minds around it. And it’s hard to even talk through these things and share our fears and concerns without straining relations, risking our reputations, or perhaps even putting our livelihood at risk in some way.
Indeed, a few members of the church I serve and a few of my friends on Facebook have reached out to me, asking how I can be calm and even crack jokes when so much nonsense is happening.
Let me fully admit to you something I am sure I don’t have to admit.
I’m human.
And all the nonsense and craziness gets to me too sometimes.
It does.
In fact, sometimes, it gets to me pretty deeply, because – being someone who studies theology, philosophy, and history – I see some of the undercurrents and tectonic plates (to mix metaphors) underneath the surface of all this, and it’s scary.
Do you remember and did you see the movie The Perfect Storm with George Clooney? It’s about a crew of fishermen caught in the convergence of two powerful storms.
Spoiler: It didn’t end well for them.
Our society is caught in a perfect storm right now.
Now, I’m going to lay out some of the things that are plaguing our society and mixing us all up. I’ve put a lot of time and thought into these things over the last several years, and it’s going to take a little time to unpack this. Therefore, this blog post is a bit lengthy. So, grab a bottle of water, a cup of coffee, or a soda and let’s get started. 🙂
In digging into these tectonic plates or addressing these undercurrents, let me make clear that the contents of this blog post reflect my perspective and my understanding of the current situation. Full Disclaimer: The views expressed by me are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the church I’m honored to serve as pastor.
And one more disclaimer…a very important one… I want to make it ABUNDANTLY clear that, in some ways, our country has gotten BETTER over the years.
Overall, we’ve made great strides in civil rights, technology, opportunity, and medicine for example. And many people who (for various reasons) have been ignored, dismissed, held back, or marginalized in the past are now being seen and are having their voices heard.
We certainly have a ways to go still in those areas, but progress has been made, and I’m grateful for it.
But history is full of ups and downs. It’s rarely all one way or all the other. And while there have been some important improvements and there remain to be further improvements…
It’s important that we recognize there are some real problems in our society right now — some “storms” that are converging and that spell serious trouble for our nation now and in the years ahead. And they are (in no particular order):
- Selfishness and a Lack of Love – Love is about willing the good of the other. It’s about being willing to sacrifice for the other. Several things are striking at this, though. First, we don’t even agree on what “love” means anymore. We’ve associated love with feelings, agreement, approval, and such. Second, while I personally believe freedom, opportunity, and prosperity are good things, the harsh reality is that our prosperous, consumerist society has increasingly made us selfish and often entitled. And has encouraged a great deal of self-oriented greed. It’s also perpetuated more inequality, envy, and (for many) disillusionment. Third, we increasingly see people as commodities or obstacles. Our “love” for someone depends more on what they can do for us than anything else. And if they oppose us or stand in our way, we start to develop feelings of hate. Oh, and forgiveness and mercy are in shorter supply these days. Bottom line: We are loving others less and ourselves more, and we are VERY confused (and conflicted) on what “love” even really means.
- Breakdown of the Family – It’s controversial to even bring this up, but ignoring this doesn’t change the FACT that more and more people are born into broken, dysfunctional, or toxic home environments. Some don’t even have a home environment. And, to compound matters, our society doesn’t even agree on the definition of a family anymore. Bottom line: America’s family life and home life (collectively speaking) is a mess.
- Sowing and Reaping – It’s a natural law of the universe wired into the cosmos by God Himself. Whether we’re talking about individuals or groups or societies, we reap what we sow. Eventually. And right now, the United States is reaping from some good seed and from some bad seed. And, though I love this country and will fly the flag proudly, we can’t and shouldn’t dismiss some of the grievous sins our nation has committed over the years (and still commits this day). Bigotry, racism, slavery, segregation, treatment of Native Americans, abortion, and on and on. You can’t sow those sins and not expect to reap a bitter harvest of deep pain, broken trust, and huge swaths of your population still in recovery mode. Which leads to…
- Hurting People – There’s the old saying: “Hurting people hurt people.” It’s absolutely true, and America is full of hurting people right now. Everyone frankly is hurting to some degree. And (at some level or in some way) unsettled, nervous, maybe even scared. Whether it be due to abuse, mistreatment, discrimination, racism, sexism, job loss, divorce, health challenges, broken relationships, betrayal by others, whatever… most Americans (almost all of us) are deeply wounded in some way. In some cases, the wounds are very deep. Add to this that many Americans are dealing with emotional trauma or mental illness. We are a very hurting and very sick country. I don’t mean that in a pejorative manner, but rather a compassionate one. We are hurting. And most Americans are trying to cope with their pain through medication (not all of it legal), addictions, unhealthy relationships, trying to control things, and more. And the cycle of pain and hurt continues.
- Scared People – Closely related to the above, we are living in the midst of change. Massive change. The last century saw more technological innovation and progress than all previous centuries combined. And this new century is shaping up to be a repeat, perhaps even to eclipse the 20th. It’s difficult for people to live through massive change all around them and stay above water. People are (deep down) nervous. Some are terrified. And many are hurt as they feel frankly that life, society, whatever is leaving them behind. And, yes, some are looking for easy solutions (there are few) and/or scapegoats to give them answers or ways to approach all this.
- Epistemology – We don’t agree on “Truth” or “Facts” anymore. We don’t agree on how to acquire knowledge or whether we even can be confident in the knowledge that we do acquire. This undermines and throws into doubt education itself.
- Language & Hermeneutics – Closely related to the above, if people don’t share the same language or understanding of terms, words, etc., then communication becomes all but impossible. Read the Tower of Babel story. Guess what? We are living the Tower of Babel story right now, only instead of God striking us with different languages, WE ourselves are messing up our own languages via relativism, deconstructionism, socio-political agendas, critical theories, etc. And that leads me to…
- Postmodernism and Deconstructionism – Related to the above, it’s become not just fashionable and trendy, but EXPECTED and even OBLIGATORY that we “deconstruct” (tear down, falsify, cast into doubt) all previously held narratives that have (for centuries) held our society together. Why? Because we imbibed postmodernism, and…
- Critical Theories – In the last 15-20 years especially (but really since the post-World War II period), ALL of academia has been increasingly reshaped to be an examination and critique (emphasis on critique and typically a deconstructive one – see above note on postmodernism and deconstructionism) that reshape and challenge social (or “power”) structures in society. Think about it. We are increasingly divided up into groups and identities (based on color, gender, or some other status or factor) and some are categorized as “oppressed” and others as “oppressors” or “privileged.” And that has contributed to…
- Loss of Trust – Who or what do people trust these days? The more we divide each other up and label each other, the less we trust each other. This is common sense, but it’s being ignored. And what else can people trust? Their jobs? Their church? Their leaders? Government? Schools? Elections? Parents? Police? Don’t get me wrong. There have been abuses and problems with ALL human institutions. All of them. And skepticism and accountability are always needed, but what we are seeing is an erosion of trust across the board and it’s making the organization of our society very challenging. This erosion of trust has given way to frustration and bitterness. If this continues, this alone will unravel us.
- Bubbles and Echo Chambers – We live in niches and interest groups. We look at our own news sources and ignore the others. Many are rejecting the mainstream media for alternative media. But even the mainstream media outlets are serving particular niche audiences – largely giving them what they want to hear. When I grew up, there were talk shows that featured multiple sides and perspectives. Remember Crossfire, The McLaughlin Group, Agronsky & Company? Nowadays, TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers are expected to skew things one way or another – to serve their audience. (Those who try to bring in different perspectives these days are often “canceled” or bullied out the door – see Bari Weiss’s resignation from The New York Times.) It’s not just at the media level. In colleges and universities, some students would rather heckle, shout down, or disrupt certain presentations than let other students be exposed to a viewpoint they deem hateful or harmful. This happens on social media too. It isn’t just that people close themselves off. They try to close other people off too. And… the whole “bubble” and “echo chamber” problem is at the personal level too. For many reasons (some bad and some understandable – like fear), people are increasingly uncomfortable talking openly with others about their fears, apprehensions, beliefs, convictions UNLESS they know the other person is “safe” (which usually means — the other person agrees with them).
- Secularist Orthodoxy – I use that term intentionally, because … even though our society has moved away from the Judeo-Christian faith upon which it was founded (though admittedly never fully lived up to), we haven’t become purely secular. No, we’ve replaced one orthodoxy for another. That which we are unwilling to question or criticize is what we worship. And people still worship quite a lot in this day and age – even those who have rejected faith in Jehovah.
- Breakdown of Civility and Social Norms – We increasingly prefer name-calling, personal attacks, insults, bullying, and other means (even, in some cases, a resort to physical violence or intimidation) to be heard or get our agenda across. This is both on the left and the right, and it’s a human tendency irrespective of race. If you want to divide society up by groups, then pretty much every group is guilty of this.
- Loss of Freedom – Because we’re living in such confusion and distrust – and in the midst of what one social commentator and economist has called a “conflict of visions” and what a modern-day political philosopher calls a “clash of orthodoxies” – the COST of speaking out has gone UP. If you stick your head up with an unpopular opinion, you’re liable to get stomped. And we’re seeing more censorship and more restrictions on speech and expression. People have (and can) lose their jobs or have their careers derailed for violating certain “orthodoxies,” even inadvertently. Much of this is designed (at least in the minds of those employing these methods) to stem the rise of radical elements and guard the “truth,” but (given all the distrust, all the confusion over what is “true” or “factual”), these methods of trying to regulate and restrict debate have the effect NOT of calming things down but of ratcheting up the pressure cooker.
- Loss of Heroes and Role Models – There is a philosophy, a pretty good one (I think), that societies (especially young people) need heroes and role models. Now, we can’t worship our heroes or see them as perfect. That’s unhealthy. But we need people to hold up who represent and exemplify virtues that we want our young people (and ourselves) to aspire to. Virtues like honesty, honor, courage, vision, sacrifice, compassion, and more. Today, we’d rather “deconstruct” our heroes and tear down statues than lift up examples. Note: It’s okay to critique people and recognize their flaws, but if Americans can’t agree today (and they don’t) that George Washington is (for all his faults) overall in the “hero” category, well…. that tells you just about everything you need to know about the mess we’re in. 🙁
- Lack of Investment – Capping it all off, more and more people have jettisoned patriotism as a desirable quality or virtue. Instead, we have buried our society (at various points in our culture) with a shame-and-guilt narrative that makes our citizens less caring and less committed to the success, even the survival, of our nation. All this is compounded by woeful IGNORANCE of our nation’s history. Most adults would struggle today with an eighth-grade-level history or government quiz. By and large, most Americans living today are not as patriotic or as emotionally invested in the future of their nation as previous generations were — and this includes generations who lived through wars and grinding economic hardship.
Add all that up and we are in DEEP TROUBLE.
And all that is why we are so crazy and people are so confused.
Some will undoubtedly look at my list and say “You left out…” whatever. And I don’t pretend that the above list is all-inclusive.
No doubt. I could’ve added, and probably should’ve added mental health, concerns with our money supply, concerns over and disagreements regarding the environment and health issues, and so forth.
We have a lot of problems. But this post is already fairly long. And I tried to focus on those things which I feel are feeding the uncertainty and instability.
For instance, if a person has been victimized or has limited (to no) trust in others or in our societal institutions and/or a person is operating under mental or emotional trauma, it’s going to affect how they approach the challenges and problems of our society.
Make no mistake…
The problems are many, interconnected, and deep.
One thing I will push back against, though, is putting specific people on the list of our ailments. It’s easy to name personalities, but…
No one person – not Trump, not Obama, not Biden – is responsible for all the above elements. In fact, they are all (with respect to their current presence on the stage) a MANIFESTATION or REFLECTION of the above elements – the above “storms.”
We are in this mess not because of one or two people. We are in this mess because of ALL OF US! And until “We the People” ALL look in the mirror, humble ourselves, learn from our mistakes and bad choices, and take responsibility for our nation, then it won’t matter WHO occupies the White House or sits in Congress or on the Supreme Court.
My list of “storms” or elements may not be perfect, but I think it’s a good start. And I think it’s frankly plenty long enough.
You can dedicate the rest of your life to addressing just ONE of the above elements and you’ll barely scratch the surface!
As I wrap this up, I feel like I have to make a disclaimer here.
It’s difficult to address so many sensitive issues without being misunderstood. And to be misunderstood, in this day and age, is not fun.
So…to be clear on where I’m coming from, here are some of my social, philosophical, and political convictions:
- I believe God created all human beings in His image and that we are all equal in His eyes. I support racial justice and racial equality. I stand for the human rights and civil rights of all people, regardless of race, creed, color, sex, gender, orientation, income, status, or any other such consideration.
- I abhor racism, sexism, white supremacy, and all that. And I would encourage all my readers to be wary of dismissing other people’s pain and experience simply because you haven’t experienced something or observed something. To believe your personal beliefs and/or experience represents the standard “reality” for everyone else is the height of pride and insensitivity.
- And I believe that it’s not only fair but essential, that our society examine whether certain “structures” or “systems” have unfairly benefited some people over others and/or have wrongly held others down or back. If we want everyone invested in our country, then we should strive for a society in which every law-abiding, responsible citizen (regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, political ideology, religion, creed, economic status, whatever) has a truly fair and equal opportunity to access the American Dream.
Every person is endowed by their Creator with “certain unalienable rights” and thus should enjoy the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Though I personally hold Bible-based and traditional views on sexuality, gender, marriage, and family, I believe in loving my neighbor as myself and treating everyone with kindness, civility, and respect. And although I believe churches and faith-based institutions (including Christian schools, faith-based colleges and universities, and religious seminaries) should be allowed (without government interference or social censure) to practice their faith according to their beliefs (including how they handle weddings, baptisms, church membership, etc.), I nevertheless strongly believe the Christian community should engage those who identify as LGBTQ+ with graciousness, love, and sensitivity. If we believe people should be able to disagree with love and politeness, then we need to model love and civility and we need to hold accountable those churches and Christians who go the other way and who (through their words and actions) hurt people rather than love them.
- In general, we need to be sensitive and compassionate toward those who have been hurt and disadvantaged through no fault of their own. And we should do our best – in some way and at some level – to help those who need help.
- I support a healthy and proper separation of powers between the states and the federal government as well as between the three branches of government at each level.
- I’m also a big supporter of LIMITED GOVERNMENT. Frankly, the only way we’re going to keep a diverse society of now 330 million-plus people together is to SHRINK the scope and power of the federal government and give more authority and discretion to states and localities. Obviously, I do NOT want to see the civil rights of any American violated when I say that. But if we’re going to respect diversity, and we should, can’t we respect diversity in communities? Can’t we understand that the people of Wilmington, Ohio (shout out to my friends there) may want to live differently from the people of New York City (shout out also to my friends there)?
- Though I am a limited government classic conservative, I do agree with Teddy Roosevelt that the government must protect the people from corporations that become monopolies. A corporate monopoly can trample the rights of the people as much as a government can. Sometimes more so. And thus when it comes to protecting Americans from abuse and safeguarding civil rights (including, but not limited to, free speech), the government needs to keep monopolies in check.
- I support criminal justice reform and prison reform.
- I support education reform.
- I believe all Americans should (of their own choice – but morally speaking, should) value, appreciate, and honor the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the American flag, and the founding principles of this great country — and should respect (as flawed as they were) the Founding Fathers.
- I’m also a PASSIONATE DEFENDER of the freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press… basically the First Amendment. In fact, toss in the entire Bill of Rights. I like all of them. Let’s get back to them.
Those are my basic political beliefs, but…
Again, those are my views and don’t reflect the views of the members of Olney Baptist Church. They can speak for themselves. (And indeed, with the exception of this post, I’ve kept most of my political views separate from my role as pastor).
What’s more, I recognize that decent and honorable people sometimes see things differently from me.
And that leads me to…
The longer I live and the more I study the Bible (especially, in this context, Proverbs), the more appreciative I am for MODERATION and BALANCE in the affairs of government.
And yet…
We aren’t seeing much moderation or balance in American politics these days.
Are we?
And that brings me back to our problems…
Things are crazy right now and we’re living in the Crazy because of the convergence of all the “storms” I listed above.
We reap what we sow, and right now, we are reaping the Crazy.
So…
What can we do?
Well, this article is already quite long, but here’s a start…
Remember what Jesus said:
Love God and Love Your Neighbor
Jesus
And here’s some advice from the Apostle Paul…
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.
I Timothy 2:1-3, NKJV
Start with LOVE and PRAYER.
And also there’s this…
[I]f My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14, NKJV
Do those things.
- Love God and draw close to Him
- Love your neighbor (that’s everyone you share planet Earth with and includes those who think and vote different from you)
- Pray (a lot) for everyone and including our leaders and our country as a whole
- Humble yourself, seek God’s face, and turn from your own wicked ways
Okay…. now about staying sane and calm…
How do we stay calm and sane and in a crazy and insane world?
Answer: By keeping our focus on the Lord.
It is better to trust in the Lord
Psalm 118:8-9, NKJV
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in princes.
It is a HUGE MISTAKE to think any politician or political movement will pull us out of this mess or somehow get us on the right track.
I realize that some of you reading this may not share my Christian faith, but can we please agree that there is no single human being or group of human beings who can address all the storms listed above? And I probably didn’t list them all. There are no doubt more of them.
These are God-sized problems. And…
We need God for God-sized problems.
We need to beseech God for His mercy, guidance, and direction. And then we all need to do what He leads us to do – so we can all help our society as He leads and empowers us to do so.
In the meantime…
Don’t let the problems of society rob you of your peace in God.
Don’t let society’s mess become your misery.
You can still laugh, be at peace, and enjoy life — even in the midst of pain, suffering, confusion, and turmoil.
Why?
Because as Nehemiah once said: “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10b)
God bless you.
