With our country’s waffling on what border security should look like, I have been reflecting on Isaiah’s prophetic words:
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20 New American Standard Bible
It seems that our moral barometer for right and wrong has become so skewed that we are now calling evil good, and good evil: while we want to be welcoming to those living outside our borders, does this necessitate that we become indiscriminate on who comes to live here?
From my vantage point, this and other events have arisen because absolute values have been trashed. God’s Word has been and is being called into question, and with that our nation’s morality has slipped into the gray area of amorality.
Let me give some more examples:
- At one time spanking our children was a good thing as we sought to discipline them. Now, parents are hauled into courts like Adrian Peterson for such discipline. Mind you, I am not condoning physical abuse, BUT, when parents step back from giving their child a spanking for fear of the repercussions, I think we are calling into question just who is in charge of our children’s’ behaviors.
- Linked to the above, is the sad decline in education. We have some great teachers who are being stymied by an educational system that is forcing them to teach students to pass tests, and not so much teach them life skills.
- Then there is the matter of church on Sunday. At one time, keeping Sunday’s open for church was fairly common. Now it is being crowded out with School sporting games and work.
I am not suggesting that we become legalistic in our endeavors to restore morality (may I say ‘Godly morality’?), nor am I suggesting that we go back to ‘the good ole days’ (for they too were fraught with problems).
Rather, I am encouraging us to return to prayer and to pray boldly for our nation and for one another for God to restore His justice and morality.
Until that time, we will continue the slide towards calling more and more good which is evil, and more and more evil which is good.
Blessings on your Journey
-Michael