Life is always full of change;
however those alive today have seen perhaps much more than their fair
share. Those who lived up to a certain point in time really did not see
many significant changes in their world from birth until death. It is
especially true when they are compared to those who lived from the beginning of
the 20th Century forward. My grandparents, for instance, (all
born between 1904 and 1913) saw the advent of automobiles, airplanes, radio,
television, cable, air conditioning, chain restaurants, skyscrapers, the
interstate system, indoor plumbing, refrigeration, washing machines and dryers,
lawnmowers, tractors and combines, the calculator, microwave ovens, computers,
the internet, cell phones, and much, much more. Imagine something as common
to our lives today as pizza. My mom tells the story of the first time her
parents saw pizza and made fun of her saying, they could not believe anyone
would eat anything that looked like that. Just 50 years ago, pizza was a
brand new introduction to most parts of the United States.
We all agree that many of the changes brought about by advances in medicine,
technology, and other areas have made life better overall. However we
have lost something along the way. Modern advances have given mankind a
sort of pride in himself that reminds us of the Scriptural account of the Tower
of Babel in Genesis 11. The sin in view there was mankind trying to go
forward and make a mark on the world, or a name for himself, all-the-while
leaving God out of the equation. This type of thinking continues in this
modern “Babylon” that The Book of Revelation foreshadows being destroyed.
People were once very in touch with their roots and the realities of everyday
life. They were reminded almost constantly that life was short, often
hard, and relying solely on themselves was unwise. They instead leaned on
family, neighbors, and prayed to God.
A century ago, the population of America was scattered throughout in small
towns, mid-size towns, communities, farms, and comparatively speaking, not that
many people lived their lives in the protective bubbles of the few major cities
of the time, such as New York or Chicago. People were very much in touch
with their agricultural heritage. Even those who worked in cities as
bankers, lawyers, factory workers, dock workers, or various business owners,
more likely than not, had roots on the farm from childhood or through other
family ties. An agriculturally oriented life meant understanding very well
the process that went from preparing ground, all the way to the harvest and
eating of the food on the supper table. It meant praying for rain, or for
the rain to stop. It meant very hard work done in primitive ways by
today’s standards. It often meant very lean times financially.
For most everyone in times past there was complete understanding of the process
of getting milk from a dairy cow to their table; or for getting steaks on the
table by way of the beef cattle grazing on the range. But now, there is
such a strong disassociation between rural life and city life that those living
in cities often only understand lettuce, eggs, pork chops, watermelons, and
potatoes in terms of their purchasing it in their grocery store. Never in
their lives have they been a part of growing those things or understand the
process, labor, and prayers involved.
Many of our politicians now have never had the grounding of such basic things
as farm or ranch life to help them see that life is more grassroots than
concrete, steal, and philosophical theories. So it is no wonder the
massive divide grows in our nation.
When I was a boy, people everywhere laughed at the same things and cried at the
same things. They had a much more shared sense of values and
morality. It is illustrated by the types of television programing then
and now. When I was growing up, no matter whether you watched the ABC,
NBC, or CBS affiliate the shows were not much different from one
another. They all offered game shows, soap operas, variety shows,
sitcoms, dramas, local news, network news, etc. But now look at the
massive differences. At any given hour I can choose between watching a
raunchy reality show on VH1 or a show about agriculture on RFDTV.
I can watch a documentary about the Amazon Rain forest on The National
Geographic Network or 24 hour news coverage and commentary on either
Fox News, CNN, or MSNBC. It is, in part, a testimony
to our wealth. Our ancestors would not have had time to watch television,
even if there were such a thing. They would have had too much work to do.
I am not condemning us for having the things we now have. Most everything
can be used for the glory of God in some way, if we choose to do so.
However, there are enormous dangers lurking for those who are prone to being
distracted from what is important, such as God, His Word, His church, faith,
family, community, love, marriage, parenting, learning, hard work, etc.
These are the things that have made America great. These are also the
same things that the Bible champions. We need to move back toward
reliance on God and all the values that stem from having a personal
relationship with Him like those who came before us. No matter who is running
for office in this election year, if they do not get these things, they are
living in a bubble and are out of touch with biblical reality.
In Christ,
Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor
No comments:
Post a Comment