Who sets the pace? Who messages the standard? Whose voice is the guide? As of late, it seems Christians are frantically playing keep up with the movement of society. We are reactionary and playing only defense, attempting to clean up the mess all around us. It seems there has been a slow, methodical plan to move society farther and farther away from Biblical standards and Christians have been left stunned and surprised at how far things have gone.
In Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcy’s masterpiece book, How Now Shall We Live, they tell of a young boy named Patrick who was abducted by a raiding Irish war party during the Dark Ages. It was during this time in his life he experienced God in a profound manner. After he found freedom, he felt a call to enter theological training and return to Ireland as a missionary.
He carried with him a message of Christ’s love and forgiveness. The monastic movement he ignited began to change the world and brought in Christian values, replacing the bloodthirsty, warrior spirit that had a grasp on society. The monastic movement began to change the tide and become the new standard of how societies would operate.
Whether it be the horrendous actions of the Vikings, the Magyars and Avars, the Huns or the Mongols, Christianity began to counter culture’s disastrous agenda and set the new standard of how society was to live.
Colson and Pearcy revealed:
“But each time, Christianity showed its unquenchable, supernatural power of spiritual regeneration. Each time, the monastic communities arose from the rubble to become islands of peace and spiritual order. The monks’ first concern, of course, was to nourish the inner life of faith. But spiritual reform inevitably led to social change as they fulfilled the call to defend the oppressed and to speak boldly against evil in high places. In the monks, say historian Christopher Dawson, ‘the lawless feudal nobles, who cared nothing for morality or law, recognized the presence of something stronger than brute force – a numinous supernatural power they cared not ignore.’
This is how Christianity is meant to function in society – not just as a private faith but as a creative force in the culture. The inner life of faith must shape our actions out in the world. In every choice and decision we make, we either help to overcome the forces of barbarism – whether medieval or modern – or acquiesce to those forces; we either help build a life-giving, peace-loving ethos, or fan the flame of egoism and destruction.” (page 302)
This is our Dark Ages moment. We are living in a post-Christian nation. Never before in the history of our country have we seen such an anti-God view and agenda. This is our St. Patrick moment. This is our time to bring change through the same message of Christ’s love and forgiveness.
In a society that places no value on the unborn, thereby sentencing all of humanity to being disposable, we are to be the messengers of life. This is our moment to focus on nourishing the inner life of faith for those around us. As we are messengers of the Good News, we will see people change and when people change, evil will be squashed. Abortion is not the problem, it’s a spiritual problem. When hearts are once again filled with the love of Christ and commitment to Him, abortion will become unthinkable. We must go to the root of the issue.
It is our moment to turn the Light on in our period of the Dark Ages. We can usher in God’s peace, hope and life.
