Natural goodness, passive goodness, obedient goodness... these do not suffice here-and-now. They are a thing of the past.
Modern Human Beings of The West are structurally different from Men of the Past: our consciousness is set-up differently, our minds are differently made, we think differently.
Our alienation - the pervasive adolescent and adult starting-point of cut-off isolation from The World, from other people, from God; is not just a habit; nor is it simply the induced product of social training and propaganda - alienation is primarily something built-into modern Western consciousness.
Thus we cannot revert to ancient way, because we no longer have ancient minds. We have become something-like a different sub-species of Men; so we do not truly desire the old ways; and cannot create, dwell-in, nor sustain ancient modes of living.
Knowing this is helpful; because it clarifies that to live as God wishes us (i.e. in harmony with divine creation, living in accordance with our divine destiny) we/ here/ now require conscious-purpose, conscious-choice, an act of will, continued effort.
Christianity does not Just Happen-to people any more; and indeed is externally-discouraged (including by self-identified "Christian Churches").
Therefore; when it comes to being a Christian, and leading a Christian life: if you do not Know you are doing it, if you are not continually-choosing to do it, and if this choice does not come from inner-intuition and motivation - then you are Not doing it.
Your observation of widespread alienation is the shortest possible description of what is going on metaphysically in this world today. You can also look at it the other way round: God gave them over - as it is stated three times in Rom. 1. This disconnect from other people, from God and therefore from Truth explains in my opinion all the insanity that we observe today. I don't think there will be a turning around from this, and as you have alluded in the past, this is may be one more or maybe the one sign that we are living in the end times. Excellent observation and article, as always... Thank you!
ReplyDelete@Thanks W - "I don't think there will be a turning around from this," Not at a social level, I agree - but individual people continue to awaken, repent and "turn around" - so that is what I have been working for (or at least hoping for) over the past decade or so.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be micro churches and micro communities forming and growing in places, oftern more than is visible.
ReplyDeleteIT was easier to live a Christian life before the past 50 years or so because so much of society was structured around the faith both explicitly and implicitly in the culture. YOu would be surprised at how many regular Westerners and especially kids now who do NOT KNOW the basic gospel story or even what Christmas is about.
I found this out over the past Christmas when speaking with my nephews girlfriend who had been going to church and celebrating Christmas with him (for a few years now). She had no idea what Christmas was except Santa and gifts etc. Easter even less.
So I think in previous ages it was easier to be a Christian, but also a lot easier to pretend to be one or delude yourself into thinking you were Christian simply be being in a Christian setting.
But it is a very alienating time--- maybe uniquely so in some regards. But it must have been hard to be a Christian in the the Roman Empire before Constantine, or even much of Europe before 700-900 period where mass conversions occurred by more elite segments of society