Terrible Times

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (II Timothy 3:1-5)

Dear Father,

There is much handwringing today by Christians concerned by how they think our country is crumbling into immorality. But the truth is that immorality has always been pervasive throughout this fallen world and our country has been no exception. There were no "good ol' days" when people were pure and righteous. Immorality took different forms and some occurred more in secret. One cannot look at the immorality of slavery, child labor, abuse of workers, the breaking of treaties with the native Americans and the stealing of their land and conclude that somehow our nation was more moral in its past. We had a form of godliness, but we denied its truth and its power.

Paul's concern was not society at large, but immorality in the church. And the immorality he warns of is not sexual immorality, rather it is the immorality of unloving behavior. People who may attend church, but everything else about their behavior is despicable.  May these children fully comprehend their responsibility, not to campaign against immorality in our society, rather it is to stand firm against those who would use the cover of Christianity to use and abuse others. Give them the courage to stand against this and defend those being mistreated by fellow Christians and give others the courage to stand with them so that they do not stand alone.

Amen