Mary Ellen Ashcroft’s Spiritual Reflections column last week did cause me to reflect. When I considered the issues that she pointed out in her article it became clear that while these are significant troubles in our country, they are not the real problem. Bigotry, misogyny (and may I add misandry), cruelty, treating women as sexual objects, neglect of the poor, ill-use of immigrants, and carelessness about our planet are merely symptoms of a truly fundamental problem.
The fundamental problem is our sinful hearts. Sinful hearts put self first sometimes at the cruel expense of others. The issues listed above are but manifestations of this problem. Sinful hearts cause sinful responses. For example, if I am passed over for a promotion in favor of a man, I grow to hate men. If my property feels threatened by someone who looks different than I do, I fear and oppress the whole race. If my faith is mocked and ridiculed, I lash out in anger against those who don’t believe as I do. If people don’t agree with my political beliefs, they are laying themselves open to my most cutting comments.
All these responses are sinful because they proceed from a heart that can act in no other way.
What is the solution? Will marches and speeches cause people to clean their sinful hearts? Does education, equitable distribution of wealth, or keeping the planet sustainable cause the inward person to change? Of course not! There is only one solution to a filthy heart.
The solution lies in God’s word, the Bible. The only way I can get a new, clean heart is to confess that my heart is indeed evil, repent (turn away) from the evil things I have held close in my heart, and believe that in Jesus I can be forgiven and enabled to live a right life.
So WWJD?
What Jesus has always done…call people everywhere to repentance and belief. New hearts are the only way to bring about real change.
Laurie Hill
Grand Marais
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