Genesis 6:5 ~ “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Lately, I've been in a spiritual funk. Since humans have been able to reason, philosophers and theologians have debated as to whether humans are inherently good or evil. 20 years ago, I would have argued that laws protecting the innocent were proof of humankind's innate goodness. Recently, that belief has been tested.
While I, personally, have been surrounded by people with good hearts, I see our society plunging into a continual state of depravity & evil.
- Reality shows recruit couples to islands of debauchery, and the last couple to be unfaithful wins $100,000.
- Police shoot unarmed civilians, seemingly, at the drop of a hat.
- There are mass shootings at schools, churches, and/or clubs every week.
- Even our leaders treat laws as suggestions as they ignore subpoenas and work feverishly to deny healthcare to the least among us.
I’m not known for being a doom and gloom guy; people often thank me for inspiring them with my positive outlook. While such an outlook is becoming harder to maintain, I have found a single mustard seed of hope to cling to.
I was watching the news, and in between stories of human cruelty and partisan bickering, was the story of Morehouse College’s class of 2019. During the class’s graduation ceremony, Billionaire Robert Smith announced he would pay off the student loans for every member of the graduating class.
Say what you will about the darkness of the times, there IS still good in the world. It's easy forget, but there are still good people who believe in, and practice kindness, compassion, and charity. God is still speaking through the hands and deeds of good people.