When
the culture we inhabit is mentioned in conversation, it usually takes a dark
tone. If the youth of our generation are brought up, that mood will usually get
darker. “Let’s face it,” they’ll say, “things have gotten worse and they’ll
probably continue to do so. Why are we fooling ourselves with any other
fantasy?”
I’ll
be quick to admit that like most people, I have fallen for such a conversation.
Just look around; it won’t take long for you to see some of the many problems
that are festering in our society. Racial violence, drug abuse, premature
pregnancies, fatherless homes…the list goes on and on. The tide of lawlessness
is ebbing ever closer, and sometimes you can’t help but wonder if there is
anything we can do to stop it. Is there a chance for things to ever get better,
or are we simply prolonging the inevitable?
The
answer to that question is clouded, and it certainly depends on whom you ask.
Gloom and despair are more commonly evoked than optimism and hope, and given
recent events that have continued to ravage our country, it shows no signs of
slowing, and even less of stopping. Anger is a more common emotion than any
other, and it is more than a surface issue. After all, anger is an outward
expression of an inward problem, and it is a problem that must be dealt with,
and soon.
In
this case, if you were to ask me, my response may surprise you. I’ve been a
Virginia native all of my life, and I am well aware of the problems that plague
our country and our city. I’m also a Christian, an occupation that is becoming
increasingly unpopular, not to mention “intolerant” in the eyes of others. You
may be wondering why this is important, and I’ll explain. We live in a faulted
culture, one that is crumbling at the edges and breaking at the seams. Those
who wish to see order restored fight tooth and nail to do something about it,
and there are those who fight equally hard to see it destroyed. It is a battle
of sorts, but not one fought with physical weapons. It is a battle of ideas, a
battle that is not so easily won. Amidst the clash of ideals and political
correctness a small voice calls to any who will stop and listen, any who yearn
for more.
What
exactly is more? Deep down inside of every person, there is a longing for more
than what this life can offer. A longing for justice and righteousness to
prevail. I’m not simply talking about governmental justice, even though that
does play a part. I’m talking about true justice that can only be brought by
the Creator of justice, and the universe at large.
Yes,
there are problems in this world and in our culture, but I have hope. There is
indeed evil in this world, and there are bad people who do bad things, things
that make us cringe in despair, unable to understand how such things can be
committed. But there is also good, and it is that light that pierces the
darkness and gives me hope for the future.
Last summer I, along with hundreds of others, traveled to
Detroit to help those who have less than myself. While not in Richmond
specifically, I saw many issues that are the same as our own, and it felt
liberating to be able to do something about it. After seeing so many people
touched by our acts of kindness, I am convinced that there is hope, and that
all is not lost. Those people saw the light of Jesus and were forever changed.
They will never be the same, and neither will I.
I firmly believe that there is hope for this world, this
country, and our city. This hope is only found through Jesus Christ, for it is
only through Him that we have any hope at all. I have witnessed people my age
and older rise up and make a difference in the lives of people they don’t even
know, I have seen the love of Jesus change them and restore lives that have
been abandoned. I have seen the loving arms of Jesus reach out through us and
forever impact the lives of people I may never see again, and yet I know are as
dear to His heart as anyone else.
That is the light that pierces the darkness, and that is
the hope that I hold on to. It is a change of perspective that once you have,
you never can see things the same way again. I have hope for our culture
because I have hope in God, I know that all will be made right, and while we
are on this earth, it is our responsibility to bring the change. So next time,
instead of standing around and talking about our problems, make the decision to
step to the plate and do something about it yourself. Even the smallest act of
kindness can make the biggest impact in someone’s life, and that is what it is
all about.
It is time for us to get off of the sidelines and be
actively engaged in the bettering of our country. If we don’t like what we see,
than we must be the ones to do something about it. If we do not, than I do fear
what may come. But I will not fear, because I know that whether it comes today
or tomorrow, change is in the wind, and it is a true change that is for good,
and not ill. That is the prevailing light I hold on to, and it is a light that
no darkness in this world can destroy.
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