Slip Sliding Away

I like that old Paul Simon song; in fact, other than the early songs I first heard from him and his partner Art Garfunkel, it may be my favorite.

I was humming that tune while reading the news this morning, and I guess the worst thing I can do is begin a blog with a cliché - sorry! After all, a lot of good things happened this weekend – the Saints won again and I attended two family reunions back-to-back on Saturday. Church was very good and I enjoyed both services yesterday. The weather was phenomenal, as it usually is during this, my favorite time of the year. I have a birthday coming up this week and in celebration, I took a day off from work for this upcoming Friday.

But still.

I have a sense of foreboding concerning this once great nation of ours. You can feel it in the winds of change that are sweeping over us through each new bill that is debated in Congress along with the obligatory press conferences and speeches that follow them. You can sense it by watching the crime rates and unemployment statistics continue to rise. Our dollar continues to go into the tank as we are drawn perceptibly ever closer into a global monetary system. Things are happening quickly. Our best bet may be to continue watching television, follow our favorite sports teams, and squander our remaining intellect reading the celebrity columns. Because to pay close attention to what is really going on is simply too much for a person to handle right now. It is truly the best of times and the worst of times.

For me, the glass is neither half-full nor half-empty. The glass is broken; shattered by a faith in a god that cannot see nor hear. The god I am speaking of is the government, and the faith I mention is a belief that somehow, some way, they are going to solve all of the problems that beset us in the gloaming of what may very well be the twilight years of our nation. I see it in the apparent loss of shame in politicians and celebrities, as well as the common-man’s perceived lack of accountability to the things that are honest and forthright.

Am I a pessimist or a realist? I have my own answer to that question and these are my random thoughts on what I view to be a particularly dire Monday. There are those that say, “But yes, maybe we can have a revival and God will put off His return for a little while and things will get better.” I believe that God has a ‘set’ time for His return and will not be flexible about it. And today we may very well find ourselves in the ‘fullness’ of His time for our country, if not the world as a whole.

So what should we do, or better yet, what am I going to do? I’m going to get my affairs in order and double-check my faith in Him, as well as to ensure that I am living my life as He would have me to do so. You see, as I write these thoughts, I am reminded of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

I’m thinking that His coming is close; even at the very door. Meanwhile many of us appear to slumber and sleep, seemingly oblivious to the signs of the times.