In my time on earth, I have been amazed and saddened by the increasingly secular bent of our world. I freely admit that there are many problems with the religion that has been historically practiced in America. Sectarianism has been the norm, leading to conflict, confusion and division. However, there always seemed to be an acknowledgment of God in our country, and a recognition of the importance of faith.
Now, it seems to be different. And much of the change has taken place in my lifetime. In April of 1966 the issue of Time Magazine had on its cover, in giant red letters on a black background, the question “Is God Dead?” Consider the following quote from the wikipedia article documenting the issue:
“A previous article, from October 1965, had investigated a trend among 1960s theologians to write God out of the field of theology. The 1966 article looked in greater depth at the problems facing modern theologians, in making God relevant to an increasingly secular society. Modern science seemed to have had eliminated the need for religion to explain the natural world, and God took up less and less space in people’s daily lives.”
As much as I wish it was not true, the last 60 years have shown an increasing lack of interest in God on the part of Americans. For most, science and technology has in many ways supplanted faith. Religion is considered by many to simply be a lifestyle choice, and even among those who profess faith, has been relegated in observance to special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
The response of many religious institutions has been to compromise with the secular spirit. In order to remain relevant religion in America has evolved. Many churches have changed worship style to appeal to changing tastes in music. Preaching is no longer doctrinal, as churches look to the “felt needs” of the world, seeking to tell people what they want to hear. The resulting question of the “unchurched” (as many call them) is no longer “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (cf. Acts 2:37), and is now “Churches, what can you do for me?” There is little commitment, seldom any sense of obligation, and a decided lack of accountability to any religious authority. Jesus has become “LORD” only in name to so many who claim to be His followers.
And so, our society rocks on. Evolution is taught as fact in our schools, and faith has no place in our public institutions. Society frowns at the preaching of the gospel as an attempt to proselytize or to judge. Science reigns supreme, with technocrats assuring us that technology is our new savior.
Then, COVID-19 hit. A small virus brought our society to a grinding halt. People became afraid. Medical experts and scientists are trying their best to protect us physically, but we have come to realize just how impotent they are. The same thing has happened to us that happened to Israel several times in her existence as a kingdom. Each time, the proper response to their ordeal was to recognize just how dependent they were upon God Almighty.
“With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9).
I don’t know if the world in general will learn righteousness from this pandemic. I do know that many now realize just how vulnerable they are. They know the machinations and plans of men are rather ineffectual in the face of the novel threat we now face.
The true Christian has always realized what some are just now starting to consider – we need God. We need Him more than we need anything or anyone else. We need to fully commit ourselves in service to Him. We need to submit ourselves to His will, and live our lives as He desires. In doing so, we may not save our lives, but we will most certainly save our souls!
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
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