We all seem to have this idea that the world is worse off now than at any point in history. There's more murders, racism, crime, drug use, etc. Right? Well, maybe not. The world has been a pretty crappy place for a while now (pretty much since the Fall). People have been killing each other ever since Cain lured Abel out into that field for some quality "bro" time. People have been divisive and hateful over silly things like skin color for a long dang time (basically every people group has been enslaved at one point in time). Man's depravity is not getting worse. Technology is simply getting better.
I'm only 26, but even I have witnessed a change in the way we live our lives. Americans lost their isolationist tendencies long ago, but access to the intimate civil affairs and tragedies of other countries has only recently been practical. Back in 1995 we waited at least a day or two to hear awful news. Even in 2005 we didn't have this immediate inundation of information. Now we're hearing about tragic events as they occur. Have you guys seen the Facebook feature that allows you to confirm that you are okay if you happen to live in an area that is currently experiencing a tragedy? Of course you have, but have you really thought about how crazy it is. That's mind-blowing stuff! I can only imagine what our grandparents think of such developments.
This principle also applies to natural disasters. Liberals will try to convince you that the weather is getting worse because of global warming. There's more tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, and floods than ever. Right? Probably not. They just didn't have the Weather Channel in 1950.
Another factor that has contributed to the general malaise these days is the fact that the media fixates on the negative. The media is, of course, not monolithic, but it seems to capitalize uniformly on the weaknesses of human nature. Ever tried driving past a car wreck without looking? Yeah, you can't. The media knows that the only thing that sells better than sex is death, and they're in business to sell, the public well-being be damned! So Michael Jackson's death and Prince's death and the death of every black man killed by a white cop becomes fodder for the talking heads. Why? Because we'll listen and argue about it on Facebook--every single time. We love the tragic, the grim, and the apocalyptic.
Next, consider the fact that crime is easier than ever before. Technological and economic factors come into play here. You used to have to steal money by force. Technology has taken all the hard work out of it. Now you can rob somebody remotely and with no threat of self-endangerment! Weapons have also become more advanced and easier to obtain, at least in industrialized nations. Owning multiple swords would have been a sign of wealth two millennia ago. I own three guns and I'm pretty poor. That's sweet, blessed 'Murica for ya! The percentage of humans who make a dishonest living isn't higher than it used to be. It's just an easier living than it used to be.
How do we fix this? What is the cure for our social depression? I don't know that there is one, but one step we can take is studying history. Being a student of history is essential for proper self-assessment. Think you're unique? Read some history. Someone somewhere has probably experienced or thought the same thing as you. This is both humbling and encouraging. The one thing that might be getting worse is the morale of mankind. With knowledge comes stress. With continuous, instantaneous, international news comes the worries of the entire human race. We used to worry about what would happen in our town, state, or country. Now we worry about what happens in remote areas of the world. Technology isn't necessarily bad, but we need to keep perspective. One way of doing that is studying history. Remember the genocide in Africa and Europe as recently as the 20th century? Remember slavery and the World Wars? Remember the hordes of the Mongol Empire? Remember when Rome ruled the civilized world with an iron fist? Remember Alexander the Great and all those people he killed? If you don't, you'll have a hard time putting our modern day into perspective. War, racism, crime, and natural disasters have been hallmarks of history. If you are ignorant of the significant events of history, you will misunderstand your place in the unfolding story of time.
For Christians, of course, our only hope for peace and resolution is resting in the will of God. He is sovereign. His plan is bigger and better than anything we could ever fathom. Studying history is seeking to understand that plan. We tend to overestimate the significance of our own generation. We assume that we'll be the ones who witness the greatest or worst events in history. We'll cure cancer or we'll witness the Apocalypse--something, just so long as it's monumental! The truth is that our generation will probably fade away into history like our fathers and their fathers before them. Our worth and significance must be in something eternal, something transcendent. The significance of our generation comes not from the era in which we live or the events we witness, but from being children of God and participants in the story that He is telling.
I'm only 26, but even I have witnessed a change in the way we live our lives. Americans lost their isolationist tendencies long ago, but access to the intimate civil affairs and tragedies of other countries has only recently been practical. Back in 1995 we waited at least a day or two to hear awful news. Even in 2005 we didn't have this immediate inundation of information. Now we're hearing about tragic events as they occur. Have you guys seen the Facebook feature that allows you to confirm that you are okay if you happen to live in an area that is currently experiencing a tragedy? Of course you have, but have you really thought about how crazy it is. That's mind-blowing stuff! I can only imagine what our grandparents think of such developments.
This principle also applies to natural disasters. Liberals will try to convince you that the weather is getting worse because of global warming. There's more tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, and floods than ever. Right? Probably not. They just didn't have the Weather Channel in 1950.
Another factor that has contributed to the general malaise these days is the fact that the media fixates on the negative. The media is, of course, not monolithic, but it seems to capitalize uniformly on the weaknesses of human nature. Ever tried driving past a car wreck without looking? Yeah, you can't. The media knows that the only thing that sells better than sex is death, and they're in business to sell, the public well-being be damned! So Michael Jackson's death and Prince's death and the death of every black man killed by a white cop becomes fodder for the talking heads. Why? Because we'll listen and argue about it on Facebook--every single time. We love the tragic, the grim, and the apocalyptic.
Next, consider the fact that crime is easier than ever before. Technological and economic factors come into play here. You used to have to steal money by force. Technology has taken all the hard work out of it. Now you can rob somebody remotely and with no threat of self-endangerment! Weapons have also become more advanced and easier to obtain, at least in industrialized nations. Owning multiple swords would have been a sign of wealth two millennia ago. I own three guns and I'm pretty poor. That's sweet, blessed 'Murica for ya! The percentage of humans who make a dishonest living isn't higher than it used to be. It's just an easier living than it used to be.
How do we fix this? What is the cure for our social depression? I don't know that there is one, but one step we can take is studying history. Being a student of history is essential for proper self-assessment. Think you're unique? Read some history. Someone somewhere has probably experienced or thought the same thing as you. This is both humbling and encouraging. The one thing that might be getting worse is the morale of mankind. With knowledge comes stress. With continuous, instantaneous, international news comes the worries of the entire human race. We used to worry about what would happen in our town, state, or country. Now we worry about what happens in remote areas of the world. Technology isn't necessarily bad, but we need to keep perspective. One way of doing that is studying history. Remember the genocide in Africa and Europe as recently as the 20th century? Remember slavery and the World Wars? Remember the hordes of the Mongol Empire? Remember when Rome ruled the civilized world with an iron fist? Remember Alexander the Great and all those people he killed? If you don't, you'll have a hard time putting our modern day into perspective. War, racism, crime, and natural disasters have been hallmarks of history. If you are ignorant of the significant events of history, you will misunderstand your place in the unfolding story of time.
For Christians, of course, our only hope for peace and resolution is resting in the will of God. He is sovereign. His plan is bigger and better than anything we could ever fathom. Studying history is seeking to understand that plan. We tend to overestimate the significance of our own generation. We assume that we'll be the ones who witness the greatest or worst events in history. We'll cure cancer or we'll witness the Apocalypse--something, just so long as it's monumental! The truth is that our generation will probably fade away into history like our fathers and their fathers before them. Our worth and significance must be in something eternal, something transcendent. The significance of our generation comes not from the era in which we live or the events we witness, but from being children of God and participants in the story that He is telling.
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