Most of us have taken down our Christmas decorations and stashed them safely for another ten months. Prior to that, there were fall decorations that have long since vanished.
Something happened this past fall, however, that still haunts me. My wife is the consummate decorator and does an exquisite job of adorning our home for the various holidays. Each fall she prepares a basket of small pumpkins and gourds for the table on our front porch.
These arrangements are not only visible from the outside, but we can also see them from our kitchen window. They do double duty and bless us coming and going.
What we failed to recognize this past fall, however, is how one of the small pumpkins began to rot. Although it could not be seen from the outside, from the kitchen window one could clearly see the decay that had begun.
Somehow we missed it. Enjoying the beauty of the larger display, we didn’t take the time to inspect the smaller components. Busyness as well as early fall darkness prevented us from noticing what was unfolding in plain sight.
The colors and shapes of the decay blended into the other natural aspects of the arrangement and were well camouflaged. Imagine our shock when we finally discovered this disgusting rot in clear view. Once found, the offending piece was quickly disposed of.
It dawned on me how this ordinary event is a parable for our society. Our culture is rotting before our very eyes but we seem to either be unaware or unconcerned. And instead of only one piece, many different facets are decaying rapidly. As God and His Word have been dismissed from the lives, homes, national life, and even some churches, the quality of life is declining substantially.
The deterioration of marriage is a foundational issue that causes many problems for children which ripple through schools and courts. Countless studies have implicated broken homes and absent fathers in the criminal behavior of children.
We are also witnessing the legalization of substances known to alter behavior in profoundly harmful ways. Instead of learning from the past and other localities, we duplicate the errors and dump them into our own laps.
There is also a lack of respect for authority. Teachers and police officers are being shot. Smash and grab robberies, carjackings, and other serious crimes are increasing at alarming rates. Emboldened by a legal system that ties the hands of law enforcement officers, criminals display no regard for law, order, property, or even life.
We also see serious signs of deterioration in the basic fundamentals of humanity. Individuals who attempt to change into the opposite sex demonstrate a total lack of understanding and appreciation for God’s image which every human being bears.
Truth itself is rotting as moral relativism has become the new standard by which many conduct their lives. What’s true for me might be different from your truth even when the two propositions blatantly contradict each other. The celebrations of terrorism and massacres along with support for rapists underscore the extent of decay in basic human morality.
As soon as we discovered the rotten pumpkin on our porch, we removed it not only to restore the beauty of the arrangement, but to prevent it from negatively influencing the others around it. We didn’t assume someone else would do it but knew if it were not addressed immediately, the mess would grow exponentially. If churches, lawmakers, and ordinary citizens do not address the rampant decay in our society, it too will only worsen and spread.
Those who care must recognize what is happening and take whatever actions possible to address the rot closest to them. Unlike rotten pumpkins, God can redeem decaying humans. Sharing Jesus with others as well as prayer and action are all necessary to preserve the best aspects of our society so that freedom and justice as well as life itself might be preserved. Blessings, George