I think many of us are sensing that there’s something not right with our world at the moment. We know there have always been troubled times and trouble spots but at the moment, it seems like there’s an increasing sense that things are not ‘as they should be’.
There are specific conflicts and tragedies happening in the world that disturb us – such as what’s happening in Gaza, Ukraine, China etc., but even in relatively stable traditionally Christian/Western countries like Australia we are sensing a despair that is bigger than usual.
There are also many ‘unresolvable’ social issues such as the cost-of-living crisis; systemic racism; the climate crisis; domestic violence; gender dysphoria; hate speech; the energy crisis… which are taking their toll.
So, whether the issues are external, such as the international horizon looking threatening; communal, such as all the social issues thrown at us by the media; or internal such as our own sense of personal unhappiness, we don’t seem to be living in happy times!
Well, the bad news is that there are no obvious solutions being offered by our politicians, academics, media personalities or psychiatrists/counsellors/influencers.
As Christians, the state of the world concerns us too but does not surprise us. Some people think Christianity is not relevant to real life, but the Christian tradition of caring for the poor and marginalized; establishing charitable institutions; embedding in our culture the value/sanctity of human life; affirming morality and integrity are just some of the ways the Christian faith has contributed significantly to human well-being.
Christianity looks at both the big problems in the world and the personal issues people have more deeply than any other philosophy, ideology or even religion.
Being human means that we want to have meaning and purpose in our lives. However, science generally says that we evolved from just basic chemicals and gases and so there really is nothing significant about being human.
If we are just highly developed animals, then ‘why is there such a thing as right and wrong’? Or ‘why do we care about anything’? The Bible says that we were actually created by God and actually were created ‘in his image and likeness’ (Genesis 1:26-27).
This means that we simply can’t function as humans without God just as bees couldn’t function without the presence of instinct. Instinct provides purpose, co-operation and protective boundaries. If you remove instinct from the animal world there would be absolute chaos and self-destruction. Equally, if you remove God from humanity the consequences are the same. So, the search for meaning is not just a vague philosophical question but the most important human question we can ever ask.
According to the famous French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623-1662): ‘There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ’
If we accept the Bible as the word of God, we will find that Jesus Christ is the absolutely essential central theme. Jesus is the only one who can resolve the human dilemma of being separated from God. That is why Jesus (while God) came as a man and gave his life on the cross to pay the price of our fallen condition and on rising from the dead offers his resurrected life to all who choose to trust in him. As the Apostle Paul says ‘there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ (Col 2:9).
One of the best things about Christianity is not just that we get to go to heaven when we die but that we get our humanity back now on the way to heaven!
I hope this has helped you have a better understanding of ‘What in the world is going wrong?’ and if so, there is a simple but important response you can make…
Acknowledge that you are separated from your Creator God
Ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your self-centred life
Trust him to give you his forgiveness, life and presence for now and for eternity
Pray a prayer of thanks to him
The following is a prayer that you might like to pray”
Dear God, I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son and that he died for me on the cross and came back to life three days later. Please forgive me for everything that I have done wrong in my life. Please be my Saviour, Lord and Life. Please help me to be your disciple for the rest of my life. Thank you for forgiving me and for coming into my life now and forever. Amen
There is much more to the Christian life but this is where it starts. It is simple but not simplistic and there is much more to learn and discover that will make sense of the world.
If you don’t belong to a Bible believing church, please look for one and learn more.
God bless you,
Peter Thomas
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