Rich Bailey is pastor of Curry’s Chapel Church.
Is it just me, or has America become rude, inconsiderate, and hateful?
I don’t think it is just me; there is evidence all around us to prove the point. Derek Thompson of The Ringer, while interviewing Olga Thompson of The Atlantic, introduced this topic in 2022: “There is an epidemic of bad behavior sweeping the country. In 2020, homicides increased by a record-high rate. Last year, pedestrian and vehicular deaths went up by a record-high rate. There have been more attacks in hospitals, schools, and stadiums and more unruly airline passengers than any time on record. Americans are losing their minds. All sorts of antisocial behaviors are on the rise. What on earth is going on?”
Just the other day, I saw a young couple coming out of Kroger. The shopping cart was full to the top; the wife was pushing the cart with a young child. The comment I overheard in the parking lot, aimed at the husband, was something like this: “REALLY!? You’re just getting in the car to leave me to deal with the baby and the groceries?” The husband continued to get into the car without uttering a word or lifting a finger to help.
While this parking lot encounter is mild compared to atrocities occurring daily across the United States, it is a symptom of the systemic narcissism all around us.
Reporter Kristy Deer, in the Feb. 23 edition of the Daily Reporter, published statistics provided by Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. The figures indicate a 74% increase in jail bookings from 2021 to 2022. And in nearby Indianapolis we are seeing consecutive years of record-breaking per capita murder rates, as reported by IndyStar writer Sarah Nelson on Jan. 1.
In contrast, AH Datalytics co-founder Jeff Asher writes in The Atlantic, “The United States may be experiencing one of the largest annual [declines] in murder ever recorded.”
While this is encouraging news, it might just be a lull just before the storm. In general, I see no such decline in everyday societal behavior among people (whether ordinary people, celebrities or politicians). I’m afraid that we are seeing a burgeoning fire that is devouring hope, love, faith, courtesy and common sense.
Then we have the added stressor of inflation causing many people to be concerned about how they’ll make ends meet. We have something of a “perfect storm” brewing.
Matthew 24 and Revelation outline what we can expect as things converge toward the end times. These signs or “birth pains” are hunger, famine, natural disasters, spread of new diseases, war, rumors of war, persecution and lawlessness.
Matthew 24:37-39 tells us that before the coming of the Son of God it will be like the days of Noah with rampant sin abounding. (See my May 26 column “Do current events point to the end times?” for more about the end times.)
The signs of the end times will keep happening with increasing speed and intensity, even though these may be dire times.
In Romans 1 we are shown that God can become so disappointed in a people that He will turn His back on them: “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired …” (Romans 1:24).
While the worst of times may be around the corner, we can still have hope and work on being more conscious of interactions and how our words affect others. In Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT) we read, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Also, in 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) we find, “Three things will last forever — faith, hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love.”
Herein lies the rub: We humans need to be accountable for our thoughts, words and deeds. As we see from the reports, we fail being accountable to ourselves. We are a people who need guidance, rules, morality, accountability, hope and faith.
How do we get that? Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:25 (NLT), “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
As I customarily end my columns: Will I see you in church this Sunday? To that I would add that you need to be in a church steeped in the Word of God, and not that of errant human philosophy.
May God richly bless you as you seek His will and His kingdom.
Rich Bailey is pastor of Curry’s Chapel Church. This weekly column is written by local clergy members.
