A world half crazy!

When I see or hear what is happening in the world today, much seems crazy, a good deal seems outright evil. It seems like there are pitched battles wherever you look, whether it’s the streets of Egypt, the political machinations of Canberra, or a Nigella Lawson who discovers through the media that her husband is divorcing her! It’s a litany of human deceit and self-interest.
What is more, it seems that few are prepared to take responsibility. The other party is always the one at fault. As Eve justified her eating of the fruit way back there at the beginning – with Adam joining in the feast – by saying it was pleasing to the eye and desirable for wisdom, so we as human beings have become masters at convincing ourselves that if ever there is a difficulty someone else has caused it. .
We are changing the moral landscape. Adultery is no longer wrong, just part of modern life; lies and deception are not wrong, as long as you can get away with it; if your rights are not upheld then bring in the lawyers; murder may still be wrong, but there are lots of extenuating circumstances!
As Christians living today, we need to hold our ground in our understanding of right and wrong, justice and fairness, human values that flow out of the Scriptures. This past week in our readings the prophet Micah has been telling us how ancient Israel had failed to live by God’s ways: “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money” (3:11); “shall I acquit a person with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? (6:11).
By contrast, Micah declares to the people, “He has shown all you people what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8).
In Australia today we value our freedom. But freedom without responsibility will actually undermine that freedom over time. Faith, virtue and good will between human beings is critical to sustaining freedom. Micah understood that when we lose God we start treating each other badly. Paul tells the Colossians to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…and over all these virtues put on love…” (3:12,14).
The fabric of life is built from the foundation of God’s love. Without it life is going to get more and more ‘crazy’. Little wonder Jesus tells to be a light in the world. That’s a kind of craziness that makes perfect sense!