The Gateway

I have often heard people, mainly in my "Christian circles", speak about the complete and utter depravity of man. Some blame much of today's problems in this society and country on removing God from the schools, banning prayer or of the 10 Commandments being publicly displayed...but these things did not happen over night.

Nothing really does, happen over night that is. For example WWII did not happen over night, there was a long list of problems and consequences that can be traced back hundreds of years, through WWI and into the 1700's and 1800's.

Ok so where am I going with this? Let me explain. . .

So I am currently in May School, taking American Literature with Dr. Hicks. I actually am really enjoying the class, Mrs. Hicks is an amazing teacher with a great passion, not only for literature, but for God and her students. As we are traveling through time on our literary journey starting with the Puritans all the way through the American Civil War, I am noticing a trend.

Well, maybe downward spiral would be a better phrase than trend. As I am reading through literature on and by J. Winthrop, J. Edwards, I. Mather, Woolman then into Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine and RWEmerson and HDThoreau, and even Arthur Miller; I am really put off and disgusted in the departure of God from everyday life and thought. It pains me to see how God has been taken from the center of life and government to a benign God, who will eventually, by Nietche (sp) will be said to be dead; "God is dead".

I guess I should not be suprised by the state of the world in which I live - the Bible says that this world is decaying and dying. I do take comfort in God and knowing that He has a perfect and Divine plan that one day includes resurrecting all of those who profess a believing faith in Him and I will rejoice in my Home going someday - - - but the level at which man has distorted God's creation is horrific at best.

And something that scares me even more, is that I am that same man. I have the same sin nature as Saddam Hussien had. Luckily, I have the saving grace that has set me free from it all, and the Spirit resides in me.

Alas, I feel as though I am straying from my point. It has been very - uh - eye-opening to read through all of this literature and see the rapid decay of man and his relationship with God over a short hundred years. Scary to be honest. I do not know where to begin, except to pray. To pray for mankind and that God will somehow use me to go into this world. While I am living on this earth it is not my duty to seperate and hide in fear, but rather I must follow the biblical mandate to go out into the world and live, to be salt and light. To be, as Winthrop put it, "a city on a hill".

Just wanted to share those thoughts.
-Alex