The tombstone read: “…and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11). This precursor to the Flood gives us pause as we consider the present state of affairs in our world. Though many of us would struggle to name even a few, the Geneva Academy lists 110 armed conflicts currently taking place around the world. Threats of domestic terror keep us unsettled and suspicious. Add to that the rise of violent crime among individuals – blood that is shed out of hatred or personal gain. We can’t get away from it. We try to keep it out of our thoughts; but everywhere we go, it stares us in the face. We grow callous and desensitized. We feel protected in our little communities; but the foreboding shadow lingers still and we know that something is seriously amiss.
The thread of violence is clearly woven throughout the course of history. Man’s inhumanity to man is a well-documented fact of Sacred History. Who has not heard the story about Cain and Able? Who has not read about Joseph’s ordeal at the hands of his brothers? And, what about the death of God’s only Son? The Bible accurately reflects the sober truth that war and violence multiply where the knowledge of God has been suppressed through unbelief and disobedience.
Things will not change for the better until we recognize that “the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.” Only Jesus can help us rise above the violence that threatens to undo our nation. Jesus has the power to change hearts and heal broken lives. He is the answer. He is the solution. But, His word must be taught, believed and obeyed. In the meantime, we must “not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28).
— Glen Elliott —