Although there is no actual documentary evidence of this, it is widely reported that The Times (of London) once posed the question, “What’s Wrong With the World Today?” G.K. Chesterton, famous thinker and author, responded with a letter to the editor which read:
Dear Sirs,
I am.
Sincerely Yours,
G.K. Chesterton.
I love that response for a couple of reasons. First for it’s brevity and wit. Second for it’s recognition that the problems of the world don’t just happen; they are caused. The world, by itself, isn’t what’s wrong. The world is damaged, and I’m not talking about the planet, I’m talking about the system. Governments, industries, relationships, crime, sickness, guilt, poverty, and death. People are at the heart of all of it, and Chesterton, a Christian, was acknowledging that as a member of a fallen race, he was part of the problem.
It has often been observed by believers that no matter how much sense a certain system (whether legal, economic, or whatever) makes, it fails because it doesn’t take into account the fallen nature of mankind. I implied earlier that it’s not the planet that’s messed up, and perhaps you remember that God pronounced a curse on the earth. But remember, the earth was cursed because of man’s sin! The fall of mankind is so central to the understanding of Biblical truth AND the world around us that it can hardly be overstated.
The world has been wrong since Adam sinned, and we, all mankind, are his offspring, and inheritors of that fallen nature. And without exception, that fallen nature leads to transgression. The problem of my sin nature is not just that it condemns me; it is that it harms you and harms society. Sinful acts pollute the population, and that, my friends, is what is wrong with the world.
However…
I’m thinking now of a (kind of corny) song we sang in grade school. I think the title was “What’s More American?” and it included lines like “What’s more
American than baseball (and corn flakes, toothpaste, the 4th of July, etc.) “ and the refrain was “I am, I am, I am!” So while I appreciate Chesterton’s humility and honesty, I also want to point out that it is worth asking “What is RIGHT With the World Today?” And the answer is “I am”.
You are. WE are. We have to understand that just as the fall of man is central to a proper understanding of the Bible and the world, so is the doctrine of redemption through the new birth. The OLD me was part of the problem. The NEW me is part of the solution! And just as my sin did not affect only me, but
polluted the world around me, so the power of God that saves me does not only save me but effects positive change in the world around me.
Please understand; I am not advocating the idea that we can transform this world into a Christian utopia. This world’s days are numbered. But we can and
must be salt and light, and in living the gospel and preaching the gospel, many will cease to be part of what’s wrong with the world and begin being part of what’s right.
Let’s continue to believe that what we are doing as Christians, as a church, will serve as a preserving agent. The world that is messed up is people, and people can be saved. Let’s go save the world.
With You in Christ,
Pastor Scott Millis
