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Man’s Glory and Despair

   Written by on November 12, 2015 at 2:27 pm

Flying home to the USA from Russia the jet took an air route over the North Pole. Looking down on Earth from a deep blue sky I saw frozen wasteland as far as the eye could see. But as we turned south I began to see an occasional road, then a wee seaport village. And before long I saw ships tracking the ocean, a forest of trees being harvested, then major cities, cloverleaf highway interchanges, and suburban neighborhoods.

logo-crotts-stephenLanding and catching a taxi in New York City, I suddenly found myself in a traffic snarl, horns blaring, profanities uttered, and road rage turned to fisticuffs. Indeed, mankind is capable of incredible feats and imbecilic acts.

The Christian faith is the only religion that holds simultaneously a dual view of human kind. We theologians point out the Bible says that man is made in God’s image and is very good (Genesis 2). But at the same time man is a fallen sinner, depraved and rebellious (Genesis 2).

All this can be terribly confusing. In one breath the Scriptures say, “What a work is man!” In the next breath it utters, “I know that in me no good dwells.”

The same species that gave us the sublime worship music of J.S. Bach has also given us the vulgar, misogynistic music of hiphop. We have our lethal battlefields, but we have our healing hospitals. We have our baby-saving prenatal wards right next to our abortion clinics. We vote in honest lawful, competent politicians while others elect abusive, corrupt, ego-maniacs.

What gives? Just what is it to be human? The Bible only gives a credible, balanced view of humanity. We are the creation of God, made in His image, very good, capable of love, justice, creativity, civilization. But outside the spirit of God we are capable of sinking to the very depths of evil.

Which human beings will we become? It all depends on what or who we turn our backs on! God or sin, truth or falsehood, love or selfishness.

Aye! There is the hinge on which history swings.

The Reverend Stephen Crotts is pastor of Village Presbyterian Church in Charlotte Court House, VA. He is also the director of the Carolina Study Center, Inc., a campus ministry, located in Chapel Hill, NC. Pastor Crotts may be reached at carolinastudycenter@msn.com.

About Stephen Crotts

The Reverend Stephen Crotts is pastor of Village Presbyterian Church in Charlotte Court House, VA. He is also the director of the Carolina Study Center, Inc., a campus ministry, located in Chapel Hill, NC. Pastor Crotts may be reached at carolinastudycenter@msn.com.

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