A very smart lady said to me, ‘Our country is in such a state that we would follow anyone who had a new thought to get us out of this mess.’
It’s an intriguing thought. Are we just followers who will accept the norm in spite of moral decay? In a 19th century science experiment, when a frog was placed in a pan of boiling water he immediately jumped out. But when placed in cold water and put the water to boil over time, he boiled to death. Before the boiling incident, he could feel the heat and accepted the warning signs. However, when the temperature changed over time, he didn’t see the need to jump for safety. Is America like the frog in the scenario?
In American society, most people know things are changing at rapid speed and not in a good way. I don’t have any answers or great words of wisdom. All I know is politics will not change the current situation. Not one leader in any political office will be able to make a dent in the train wreck of our economy, social decay, and lack of moral compass. Sure, many leaders in a handful of organizations and political office have stood up and said, ‘Something needs to change! We cannot continue moving forward in this condition.’ And yet we do.
In the past we’ve had leaders who’ve made encouraging efforts and lead by example. Where are today’s leaders of the same caliber? We’ve studied about them in school and applauded their courage and yet when someone takes a stand over an issue, today’s talk show hosts and editorial spokespersons tear them to shreds over something in their past which comes back to haunt them. Where is our George Washington?
So we continue in our daily lives: going to work, coming home and having dinner and getting up the very next day to do the same thing over again. I think Jackson Browne said it best in his song, “The Pretender,” when he said something to the fact of when the morning comes streaming in, we get up and do it again—and all for the legal tender. We structure our lives over the almighty dollar and not around God-given joy and happiness, which causes the stress and deterioration of society.
I believe the change we need, as most say, will begin with each person not taking the easiest path. It will take wisdom to see the next step to make the needed change in each family. Ethics and morality need a refresher course and I don’t say this lightly, in every area of our lives. I think we’re all pretenders in a sense to think life in 2015 is copacetic. It isn’t unusual these days to watch the evening news and watch video of destruction, epic violent acts within small town parameters, discussion of the latest story of selling aborted babies’ organs and suicide bombings and beheadings over which god is the true God.
So what is the answer? I believe there is no definitive answer but to trust God and say a prayer for the pretender.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pray for 'The Pretender'