When All the World Goes Mad

“(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…”

Romans 1:20-22

Slowly, in recent years, my understanding of this passage has deepend. I’ve known many to resent the fact that the Bible calls them fools if they refuse to acknowledge God.

From their perspective, I can understand why. How can someone who can grasp complex mathematics, physics, or any other academic subject consider themselves a fool simply for denying the existence or the authority of God?

The answer is that the focus here is not on the intellect, but on the heart. God’s Word does not call individuals a fool in the sense of lacking academic intellect, but instead it means they lack moral intellect.

As I look at news reports, secular and religious, I frequently find myself wondering why many cannot see their inconsistency, or outright insanity.

Why is it that Hollywood will profit from sex and violence in entertainment but then condemn it in real life? They enable and instruct by example, but condemn in their words.

Why is it in politics so many will frequently change their positions even when there has been no change in the facts? Many shift their allegiances with the seasons and seem to completely lack any degree of integrity.

Why is it the media will virtually destroy one person or group but then excuse another for the exact same behavior?

Why is it that so many in the world seem to have lost their minds, but somehow they do not notice.

The world is full of emperors with no clothes, but no one seems to notice or care that they are naked.

The answer is given in Romans 1. It is not a new problem. It is why Jonah could describe the greatest and probably largest city of its day as not knowing their right hand from their left. Most likely this is a phrase for describing someone who does not know the difference between right and wrong. But perhaps they had become so swallowed up by moral depravity that, like our generation, they denied the very existence of absolute truth and so denied the existence of right and left.

As I thought on these things this morning my mind turned to a phrase by Rudyard Kipling, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…”

Certainly, we live in such times. As children of God, however, we can and we must keep our heads. By standing immoveable on God’s Word, we will provide stability for ourselves, our families, and our churches in an ever-changing world.

Read the Word. Memorize the Word. Obey God’s Word. And you will keep your head while the rest of the world loses theirs.


P.S. Here is the poem by Rudyard Kipling that I mentioned in the article, “If”. I am fairly certain I could find a Biblical basis for every truth he mentions. Anyway, enjoy.

If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;   
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

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