Thoughts on "The State"

I've had the opportunity to participate in the Wednesday night video series "The Truth Project." It's been an interesting exploration of faith and our world. Wednesday night's video focused on "The State."

One of the most striking things to me in the presentation was near the end, when the series offered a list of traits that characterized Rome right before its fall. The list included the following:

* A mounting love of show and luxury.

* An obsession with sex, especially homosexual activities.

* An increased desire to live off the state.

* freakishness in the arts, masquerading as originality, and enthusiasms pretending to be creativity.

When looking at that list, I couldn't help but think that many of those same things could be said about the United States right now. Obviously many of those in attendance felt the same, as our group discussion illuminated. One of those points in particular led to a discussion of how the state as it is currently constructed is gaining power in areas that were traditionally filled by the role of the church, including caring for the poor.

There are many in this country who are frustrated by the way that Welfare, Social Security, and other programs run by the state are being practiced today, and the draining some of those well meaning programs are having on our national economy. Of course, traditionally the role of caring for the poor in society was taken by the church. Now it's been taken and abused by the state. This was a serious point of conversation Wednesday, but it got me to thinking. One of the reasons that has happened is because the church seems to failed in that role.

It takes a concerted effort to be the change you want to see in the world. It makes me think of the mentoring program started by Donald Miller. He got his local church involved, and soon it spread to other churches that shared a similar mission focus, and it has continued to grow from there. Imagine what could happen if all of us were similarly inspired and spread that fire of inspiration to Christians around the world. That would truly be something to behold.