The Good News of the Gospels is usually relegated to back page stories in this newspaper called life. Every new day brings increasingly savage and violent news of mankind’s failure to understand our purpose during our visit to this life. Perhaps people are unaware of the necessary path we must take to ensure our species is existent a few millennia from now. Deadly armaments and unbridled displays of man’s inhumanity to man foretell a fiery demise. Is there any hope?
Days like yesterday and today leave me questioning. The salient media story has been about one man intent on killing as many other men and women as possible with his accumulated stash of weaponry and ammo. Disgruntled about political differences and incited by racial hatred this one person had a desire to destroy the world. Can you fathom a crazed mind that intent on having his will let loose on mankind? I cannot.
Several books of our Scriptures prophesied the “end times.” Some of us believe the writers could indeed foresee the future of man as related in their writings. Some of us who are less inclined to agree with prophesy call today’s world circumstances a coincidence. I certainly don’t know the answers.
However, I do believe those ancient men of scripture knew instinctively the nature of man. They knew and experienced the violence and hatred inherent in humanity since the beginnings of time. We do not descend from peaceful stock. Our genes do not comprehend the words love and compassion and tolerance. Our primal tribal nature teaches us to kill that which is different from us. We have millions of years of DNA driving us to be killing machines. So, why should we be surprised when one man sets out to destroy as much as possible of God’s creation?
Understanding the aggressive, violent nature of mankind does not excuse the task set before me which is to evolve to the highest levels of peaceful coexistence with all races, creeds, nationalities and lifestyles possible within my broken, human condition. I can never do this perfectly, but I can make progress. How about you? Together, maybe we can modify those genes and change our world.
lpb quest - the twilight dance 