When we moved to Minneapolis in 1973, we were thrilled to be living in a “big” city that maintained good values – had an amazing art community – was a beautiful metropolis and still had a home town feel to it.  Something has happened in the past 44 years.  The ugliness of hatred, malice, violence, racism, sexual immorality, crime and fear has invaded this once lovely place.  It never fails to amaze me how insidious evil is. How it slowly infiltrates into our lives without our even seeing it.  The devil is on the prowl big time here, throughout the United States and the world.

He gnaws away at things like conscience, guilt, fear.  He wheedles into the recesses of the minds of children by offering things that please rather than prepare.  He digs holes for us to fall into with enticement and promises of satisfaction or self indulgence.  He sets traps for the elderly, who no longer hold high esteem in society.  His playground is in government, in our churches, in the workplace, in our schools.  He turns things upside down so that we eventually believe that right is wrong and wrong is right.

My state has become a haven for those seeking entitlements.  It is extremely liberal, tolerant of all kinds of behavior and a hotbed of anger – which grows daily.  Anger does nothing to advance peace.  It simply stirs more dissidence.

I believe we have lost many of our basic communication skills – partly because of the advance of technology – partly because of laziness.  It isn’t easy to listen to someone else when your primary concern is yourself.  Sometimes we don’t take the time to think before we speak.  Our words not only move and inspire, but they can incite and enrage. Anger doesn’t solve problems, it simply makes them worse. We have lost the ability to work together to come to a solution.

How could God possibly care about  people who constantly reject Him – – who will not defend the truth – won’t take responsibility for their actions – and have forgotten all His precepts?  Still He does love us – in spite of ourselves.  His love will never die.  His protection remains the same every day.  His demeanor is the same as it always has been, even though we face each day with more corruption and sin.  Though we change in an instant, He is slow to anger and boundless in mercy.  He is our only hope!