Are things getting better or are they getting worse?

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).

There’s a lot of uncertainty in our country and the world beyond our borders.  Worries about the environment and the economy. Worries about civil unrest and terrorism.  There are concerns about moral decay as more and more things formerly seen as wrong are now touted as good and right.  There is anxiety over the education that our children are receiving and the prevalence of bullying.  Ask people if things are getting better or worse, and you’ll likely get a pessimistic assessment instead of an optimistic viewpoint.

The great thinkers of modern times say that mankind is getting better and better; we are standing on the backs of giants and a wonderful future is just within our reach.  But are things truly better than they once were?  Yes, we’ve made great strides in medicine and technology.  We can grow more food on an acre of land than our ancestors could have dreamed.  We are able to speak with people instantly almost anywhere in the world.

But how has man changed?  Do we have less hatred and prejudice than in the past?  Are fewer people being robbed and abused?  Are the problems war and terrorism gradually diminishing?  Is there improved equity between the extremely rich and the desperately poor?  Has corruption in government became a thing of the past?  Do people lie less and tell the truth more often?  Are marriages more stable and less likely to end in divorce?  Are we climbing the hill towards a better tomorrow, or skidding down a treacherous path that ends in cataclysm and darkness?

Holy Scripture contradicts the view that history is a climb up out of primordial muck.  In the beginning, all was perfect.  Then we messed things up, resulting in chaos and decay.  For all our achievements of the mind, the human heart is just as shrouded in darkness as it has been for ages.  Jesus warned that as time rolled on, the world would sink ever further from the path of righteousness that leads to paradise.  Only Christ can lift us up and get us going in the right direction; only Jesus can clean off the muck of sin so we are presentable to enter God’s lofty home. The days ahead may look dark and uncertain, but we have confidence that with Jesus at our side there is light at the end of the tunnel.