Living In Reality

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless;  there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Romans 3:12-18

What evil are you capable of? What evil are we as a people capable of?

The second question is easier to answer because it is someone removed from ourselves, and because we see the answer on the evening news every day. The first question is more personal, it’s you, it’s me. What evil am I capable of? The question itself can offend. And yet the reality is that the evil that society is capable of is conceived in and delivered by individuals first. it is conceived and implemented by individuals, but by me? No. I have my problems, but I could never do evil. Or could I?

In the passage from Roman's, above, Paul paints a bleak portrait of humanity -- macro and micro -- societal and individual. What do I make of that? What do you make of that? In the early 20th Century, a British magazine solicited prominent people to submit essays answering the question” What’s wrong with the world.” Author G.K. Chesterton submitted the shortest: “Dear Sir: Regarding your article ‘What's Wrong with the World?' I am.” How would you respond to that question? How do you see yourself in the puzzle of the problems of the world. The answer to this question is at the heart of the gospel. A realistic understanding of ourselves “in ourselves” and ourselves ‘in Christ” leads to a freedom giving realization that that we are actually weaker and more sinful than we ever before believed, but, through Jesus, we are more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope. With that realization, we no longer have to answer the question "am I good enough?" Instead we can move with the reality of the goodness from God full speed into a life of partnership with him in all the realities of our everyday life.

Peace, hope and love

Doug