Many people are frustrated with the current political climate in the United States. The major parties have chosen candidates that have become quite unpopular. Within the Republican party is a strong "never Trump" movement, and there are many people who had supported socialist Bernie Sanders and have become disgusted with the system that vaulted Hillary Clinton to becoming the nominee of the Democrats. On the one hand, Trump makes outrageous claims and impossible promises (much as Obama did) to try to gain support. On the other hand, the director of the FBI exposes most of the claims that Clinton made with respect to her handling of sensitive confidential information to be outright lies.
There is a growing number of people in the country, who, when analyzing the choices before Americans ask how could this happen?
Some might point to our education system. Though it is taking larger amounts of money, it seems to be producing diminishing returns.
Others point to economics. Many on the left use the gap between successful and unsuccessful as justification for government intervention in the free market.
There is no shortage of issues to which blame can be attributed. From racism, to sexism, to Islamophobia, to "white privilege," there is always some monster in some faction of our culture (not the faction to which we belong mind you... some other faction) onto which people will affix fault... a societal scapegoat.
Part of what make these issues easy to blame is there are legitimate problems in most of them. We are, as Mike Rowe said, "...lending money we don’t have to kids who can’t pay it back to train them for jobs that no longer exist." There are maneuvers attempted by large corporations that can best be explained by corporate greed. In other words, there are legitimate concerns expressed by both liberals and conservatives.
Ultimately though, even if everyone agreed to a single plan that would completely re-work the education system in the country, and even if every corporation was legally bound to ethical behaviors, society would still be burdened with envy, pride, wrath, sloth, lust, greed, and gluttony.
A civilization that is obsessed with how the choices of others negatively impact them is a civilization on the brink of disaster. It creates an urge to control (by any means) the choices of others. While it may start with the power of persuasion, it is far too tempting to avoid using the persuasion of power.
Of course, this does not mean that power should not be used in dealing with legitimate threats: crime must be punished. We should not tolerate the retention of the robber's stolen goods, the freedom of the abuser, or the life of the pedophile. Additionally, military force is necessary to protect our nation from foreign malefactors.
What this does mean is that people who are preoccupied with the flaws of other factions in society are easily manipulated. This tendency is observed in the Old Testament book of Joel:
"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong." (Joel 3:9-10)
The imagery of reworking plowshares into swords and pruning hooks into spears is not intended to be limited to inanimate objects. People who might otherwise be reasonable can be whipped into a frenzy if they focus on problems beyond their direct control. It has been used to make people believe the source of their difficulties can be attributed to Jews, to whites, to blacks, to Republicans, to Democrats, to the wealthy 1%, to corporations, to unions, and to churches.
If the divisive trends that politicians exploit to sway their factions continue, then the situation in this nation is going to get worse... it's going to get much worse.
Jesus taught a parable to illustrate the point:
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
"And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14)
Though there are new and clever ways to express outrage and frustration with the flaws of others, they are, at the core, not so very different from rending one's garments, as was done anciently. Because of the central similarity, the counsel from Joel all the more applicable:
"Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." (Joel 2:12-13, emphasis added)
This is the key to avoiding the problems associated with obsessing over the flaws of others... addressing the flaws in yourself. Compare the amount of time spent in trying to fix the behavior of others to the amount of time spent trying to become better yourself.
In the end, Christ will come again, and he will take care of the great injustices in the world. Those who have indulged in envy, pride, wrath, sloth, lust, greed, and gluttony will reap what they have sewn. Those who have spent their efforts to try and purge themselves of their envy, pride, wrath, sloth, lust, greed, and gluttony will be rewarded.
Circumstances are likely to get much worse, but regardless of circumstances, the power of Christ can help you to be better.
