LUCIDITY

Clear-sightedness is to be highly valued, especially when it pertains to our future. There is little hope of well-being if we don't understand who we are, why we are here and where we are going.

Several issues make this difficult, not least of all that we have cut our ties with past teaching of man made in the image of God. This in turn denies us a purpose and destination. Thereafter it does not take long to deny God.

There have been cycles of thought down through the ages but it is increasing complexity and speed of change which seem to be sucking us down into a 'black hole'. As Lippman said a hundred years ago, 'we are uprooted and disorientated' and have no words to express what is happening to us. How can we articulate our needs if we don't know what they are? Life is fragmenting and globilising at the same time. We are ever more dependent on technology and machinery but so much the more on energy resources.

The sources of wisdom, through many ages, have been the Church, Judicial and Educational systems of one form or another, together with rule and authority of many kinds. No one man or body can possess this today. Many have attempted to delve into the ills of our society and of course there is no one problem or one solution. Of greater concern is that many do not give thought to the dire straits we are in.

Walter Lippman has critiqued the church as the one institution that gave a solid foundation to society, but has lost this authority and hence lost its voice. As he says, the preacher should exercise his mind to determine the way to give meaning and direction in disordered chaos. If not relevant preaching and pastoring, men will turn elsewhere. It is our feelings and behaviour that must be addressed.

Jesus spoke with authority, evident to all, and addressed the day to day issues of life. If we are in doubt as to His identity, He made it clear that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the wisdom and righteousness of men.

In the Psalms the writer says that 'The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him and He will show to them His covenant' What is that covenant? 'I will be your God and you will be my people'. Caring authority and belonging, what man craves. However it is man that has brought this miserable condition on himself and rightly reaps what he has sown.

The wonder is that God's grace is greater than our sinfulness and He anxiously waits for our repentance. God has a passionate longing for the hearts of His people. ‘Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all my commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!’ Deut 5:29