I was born in 1950, a part of a generation considered baby boomers—children born after WWII, between 1946 to 1964. 

I remember the shock and grief that assailed the nation when President Kennedy was assassinated, when people who were concerned about a Catholic president, or those who considered themselves Republicans and did not vote for him, yet shared the anguish of a nation in mourning.

I remember the Cuban missile crisis when two bomb shelters showed up behind our church and the students in our little 3-room schoolhouse had canisters of provisions “just in case”.

The 1960s and ‘70s were turbulent times—our nation began coming to grips with and taking action against the insidiousness of prejudice and discrimination.  The Jesus movement brought many young people to the foot of the cross while many others rebelled against all authority and against Christianity—and the roots of anarchy pushed their way through the souls of those who rejected the discipline and values of generations gone by.

Under the guise of “Peace” and “Love” and “Flower Power” the occult began to thrive, sex became “free”, and the murder of innocent children became a way to handle the consequences of the mass departure from Biblical morality.  What once fostered a sense of community became, in the minds of many, archaic, ineffective, and belittled.

After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, we united as a nation in shock against an enemy that was not so easy to identify.  Many turned to God.  Many prayed.  A strong sense of national community began to rise.  Temporarily.

2020, and we are faced with a global pandemic.  Finger pointing and assigning blame, political posturing, and rampant vitriol; media bias and obvious hatred assault us from many directions.  People are fighting in stores over food and commodities.  Fear consuming some people, others parading carelessness. 

After 2001, the United States has become increasingly divided, particularly since the 2016 election.  It is very difficult to write this without offering my own opinions; however, that really isn’t the goal of this post.  My point is to notice.  Notice where we’ve come from and where this path is leading.  Notice our words, our thoughts, our attitudes, our posts, and figure out whether we are contributing to the growing divisions amongst people or allowing the Holy Spirit to work His fruit into our lives.

We can readily identify these “works of the flesh”: “…sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery…drunkenness, orgies, and things like these”, without recognizing our very own human inclination towards “…enmity [hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism], jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions…”

These verses in the book of Galatians are introduced this way: “For you were called to freedom, brothers.  Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.  But I say, ‘walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other…. Now the works of the flesh are evident: …” (Galatians 5:13-21)

And this is how the chapter concludes: “…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such thing there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-25)

We are navigating unfamiliar waters nowadays with the coronavirus and the political tensions and contentions.  Fear and hatred appear to be spreading faster than the virus.  As Christians, we need to consciously decide which voices we will listen to, whether it be our flesh or the sinister whispers of the enemy, whether the spirits of this world or the Spirit of God; will fear consume us or faith define us?  Resting securely on the Word of God, His matchless promises, and the steadfast love of our Savior, we are in a secure place to be good neighbors.

While the pundits rage, I’ve seen communities come together to support each other, offering toilet paper and supplies, home cooked meals, offering rides and running errands, a church giving out toilet paper.  People being neighbors…

Let’s consciously make the choice to NOT be finger-pointers and blame-assigners (like so many in the world who have no hope); instead, let’s recognize where the battle lies:  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)