It seems we use to know the difference between right and wrong. It was right to respect our elders. It was wrong to disrespect them. It was right to respect police officers. It was wrong to disobey them. It used to be we knew the difference between right and wrong. What happened? The bigger question might be – is there a way back? Can people who have lost their sense of right and wrong recover? It all depends on how deep the damage.
Most, if not all of us have experienced the problem of a battery-operated device that will not work when needed. It might be a flashlight in the middle of the night. Maybe it is that stud finder at the bottom of the toolbox. We want to use the device, but it will not work for us. Our first thought is, “It must be dead batteries.” We open the battery compartment and there is the problem. It is that yucky, white, sandy, gritty substance we call corrosion. We recoil at the sight of it. Very carefully, protecting our hands and our eyes, we remove the old batteries and try to clean away the corrosion. We install new batteries. Sometimes the device works again. Sometimes the corrosion has caused such damage the device is not salvageable. So, we throw the device away.
When a nation drifts so far away from what is right and wrong can it return? When anarchy and rioting and the love of death versus the love of life engulfs a nation, can it return? It all depends on the severity of the damage and the resolve of the people. A popular phrase of days gone by is, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” It is time for the good men and women, young and old, to do something. But what can we do in our little corner of the world?
We can decide, “The solution begins with me. I cannot change others. I can only change myself.” Here are four things you could do. One, start going to church. If you are not a religious person or if you have stopped attending church, start there. If you do not know where to attend, give me a call. I’ll help you find one. Two, when you attend, put something in the offering plate. You will be glad you did. Tithing (10%) of your income is the standard but begin somewhere if for no other reason than to help pay for the lights and the air conditioning. Three, read your Bible a few minutes each day. If you do not have a Bible, I will be glad to give you one. I will even bring it to you or get it to you. Four, attend a small group Bible study with people your age. Let’s do our part to begin the shift back to better days.
