To Hell in a Handbasket?

Is the world going to hell in a handbasket or are we just mad because the world isn't the way it used to be? There was a time in America when the church could see its own influence in the political and moral perspectives widely held by the citizenry. This is largely because "church" was a part of the fabric of society in those days. A large percentage of people went to church. There was a basic agreement that, although probably few actually knew what it contained, the Bible had some authority in determining the beliefs and moral moorings of the nation.

Sure, there were the occasional Buddhists and athiest-anarchist-homosexual-poets and snake-oil salesmen, but generally speaking the church enjoyed prominence, prestige and power.

Then the world started (continued?) to change. It became fashionable to question the establishment. Someone asked, "why?" and the whole system began to shudder. The church, it seems, was unable to engage in a real and substantive way when the emerging population began to question its monolithic status. It seems the response was something like, "Because I said so," and, as we all know, that answer is not very satisfying to the one asking the question.

With the structure now vulnerable, confidence and boldness to experiment with repressed and hidden sin grew. Behaviors that were once taboo became more open, noses were blatantly thumbed at the man mowing his lawn in a tie and cardigan sweater, and the whole thing unraveled.

The church, which had abandoned its work of advancing the hope and love and truth of God and His gospel in favor of enjoying its position as king of the hill, withdrew into its institutional self and muttered. In some cases various movements sprang up which tried to reinvigorate the spiritual influence of the church, but, for a variety of reason (not the least of which, I think, is that the power structure deemed it unorthodox, charismatic, liberal or loony) these movements didn't gain much traction in the culture at large.

This brief history (which is admittedly abreviated and myopic) is now being interpreted as the advance of evil, signs of the end, and, unless something dramatic happens, America is going to pay severely (probably with terrorist attacks and hurricanes).

The question is this: Has the world (and its inherent depravity) advanced? or has the church retreated? Has the world become increasingly unsavory? or has the church simply lost is saltiness? Has darkness triumphed over light? or has the church simply retreated to the underside of an inverted basket?

Is there hope? Did Jesus mean what He said in Matthew 28:18-20? Or is this the end-game? Should we be optomistic and diligent and joyful? Or should we continue the retreat into holy huddles, curse the evil age and pray for the rapture? The answers to these questions are profoundly significant to how we live as the body of Christ.

Just thinkin'.

What say ye?