The Final Exam

”The Lord tests the righteous...and the wicked" (Psalm 11:5)

“Why am I in this hand basket and where are we going?” 

Yes, I know, we old duffers have always thought the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and, by golly, this may be the year. (Not to be unduly gloomy, I hasten to add that G.K. Chesterton has pointed out that the world almost went to the dogs at least seven times throughout history, but each time it was the dog that died.) 

Given the state of our culture, some would offer the counsel of despair: "Flee like a bird to the mountain...When the (moral) foundations are being destroyed, what can good people do?” (Psalm 118:1-3). Perhaps I could get a permanent job in a lighthouse, or a forest service lookout tower, and let the world go—wherever its going.

Indeed, confronted by the collapse of good manners and common decency, what can good people do? Even God, who is righteous and loves righteousness is silent (11:7). Why does he allow this godawful stuff go on, and on, and on, and on...

God’s apparent inaction in the face of moral chaos is not a show of indifference, but patience, giving both the righteous and the unrighteous an opportunity to show the stuff they're made of. (Yes, Mrs. Moody[1], I know that’s bad grammar.) God's reluctance to put an end to evil is a "test" (11:5), to use David's exact word, to see if we're going to be good or bad children.

Here's the way I see it. Our crass, amoral culture forces us to take a stand: Will I, by God's grace, follow Jesus and become like him in my thoughts, words and actions, or will I follow the twittering, madding crowd?

David Roper

 [1] My 5^th grade English teacher at Armstrong Elementary School.