If someone were to ask you to create a list of words to describe the state of the Unites States in the year 2018, what words would you use? I know you would want to give some time before creating that list. I have thought about what words I would use. Let me share several with you.
First, I would use the word "violence." We live in a violent society. Mass murders have almost become commonplace. Cities, such as Chicago and Baltimore, experience shootings and murders at an almost exhausting rate. Last weekend alone there were 11 murders and over 70 people were wounded in shootings in Chicago, and Baltimore has become the newest "murder capital" of America based upon its population. Just visit a store that sells video games and the most popular ones are the most violent ones. It seems we take great satisfaction in spending our free time killing people on the small screen and watching people get killed on the big screen.
The problem with so many young people playing such violent games is that they are not able to separate the real world from the fantasy world. In their minds, you can shoot a person and just seconds later you can shoot that person all over again. So, if I take a gun to school and shoot someone else, I forget that it is the real world and when a person dies in the real world, he is dead. So we have created a vast realm of confusion within their minds. And then with the ease at which guns can be obtained, a problem of violence has been created. Now I am a very strong supporter of the Second Amendment even though I do not own a gun nor would I desire to own one. But somehow we need to figure out how to limit access to guns as a deterrent to the violence. I wish I knew what that looked like, but something has to work.
Second, I would use the word "double-standard." Okay, so that might be two words. Perhaps our society has always lived with a double-standard, but it seems more prevalent today. For example, just look at the millions of dollars and the countless hours that have been consumed to determine whether the Trump presidential team committed any collusion or obstruction of justice in the 2016 election. The media has almost worn that "cloak" for the past two years, while the reality of the known crimes committed by the Clinton campaign that same time seem to be shoved under the rugs. That is a double-standard. Media giants such as Apple, Twitter, Facebook, and others carefully screen through emails and other communications, focusing they say upon what they consider to be hate-speech. But more often their targets are conservative Christian groups who promote a Christian values system. Those on the left are usually not even approached. Whenever you hold one group of people to a higher standard than others there is the risk for conflict.
A third word I would use is "entitlement." No, I am not talking about Medicare or Social Security as I do not view these as entitlements. I have been putting money into Social Security for over 55 years, as well as into Medicare. I have earned my Social Security checks. By entitlements I am referring to those areas where we have expectations for others to take care of us. One of the battle cries today is that our kids are owed a free college education - four years, no less. Another cry is that we are owed free healthcare. Many of our students graduate from our colleges and universities believing that they are owed a high-paying job that requires very little work. And, yes, I know that there are times you have to take a job that is not exactly to your specifications. I remember one summer I worked at a Christian college and my job for the entire summer was to clean bathrooms in all of the dormitories. Eight hours a day - five days a week - cleaning showers, toilets, sinks, and floors. I learned then that I did not want to do that job the rest of my life, but I needed a job to support my family. It seems we have forgotten how to work today - we want somebody else to work for us.
I would also use the word "opportunity." America has always been the land of opportunity. It was opportunity for freedom of worship that brought the Pilgrims and Puritans to our shores. It was the opportunity for financial independence that brought others to Jamestown and then to New York. It was the opportunity for adventure and advancement that led those pioneers to cross those Allegheny Mountains and head west. It was opportunity that drove them all the way to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. America is the land of opportunity. For those who dream big dreams and who are not afraid of some "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" the opportunities in America are boundless. Yes, there are risks to be taken; it was very risky crossing the storm-tossed Atlantic in the late fall of 1620. It was very risky loading all your possessions into a covered wagon and cross those mountains, knowing the risks of climate and enemies. I am grateful that there still are opportunities here in our great nation. I am still grateful that others want to come to America legally because they see opportunities.
A final word that I would use to describe America today is "truth-starved." Yes, I know I made up that word. But it conveys the reality of our times. We live in a nation that is starved for truth. Every day we feast upon opinions and interpretations. I thought of that the other night as I watched one of the popular talk-shows on television. Although the conveying of truth was its objective, the hour was basically spent in personal opinions. God has commanded us to be purveyors of His Truth. But, in order for America to know truth, it must have a turning to the God of truth. God is Truth. And it is His Truth that sets people free. How can I convince others to seek God's truth? I need to live it out in my own life in such a way that others see it.
Well, that is my list. Let me ask you: What words are on your list? Take some time this weekend and sit down and create your list. I am confident you will learn as you think and process.
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