“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. “ 2 Timothy 3:1-4
As I traveled on a brief trip to see my stepmom (and chilled out—literally and figuratively—during long layovers in Newark and Detroit, which were odd mid-destinations between Jacksonville and Dulles), I devoured “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury (©1953). You likely read this short novel in high school, but probably don’t recall its profound literary connotations—and its dystopian reality certainly didn’t parallel that era as much as it does today. In fact, the intense relevance kind of messed with my head a bit, as I observe our current self-serving pleasure culture in relation to the decades-old warnings of authors like Bradbury and Orwell (see “Animal Farm” and “1984” as examples).
In this novel, society had deteriorated (or advanced, depending on one’s perspective) to passive happiness-seeking. Critical thinking—or any pondering at all—had been deemed a bad thing. The powers-that-be constantly fed people meaningless input and commercials through four-wall always-on screens and always-in earbuds (sounds eerily familiar). Over time, people didn’t want to waste time reading books, so classics and modern works were summarized to a couple of pages, then reduced to a column, then minimized to a line or two—dare I say “280 characters” in today’s vernacular. People became seemingly “well read” and informed, although it was all a delusion. But even that nugget of insight was too much for individualized evaluation, so the entire concept of books became a thing of the past (and illegal), replaced by mind-numbing input of the system.
But the spiritual implications of “Fahrenheit 451” also struck me as quite weighty. See, even the attention span of today’s Christians has deteriorated. We want to be entertained at church, told how awesome we are and how great life can be. We certainly don’t want to be convicted in any way—the darkness in our life is just fine without the light of truth shining in on it. Instead of God’s Word being taught, line by line, with context and application, Christians want good soundbites. A verse sprinkled in here or there that aligns with the pulpit Ted-talk du jour, and modern churchgoers deem themselves “well-versed” in the Bible. No thinking or pondering needed. And when God says something we don’t like, we simply toss it out as “irrelevant to modern culture”—it interferes with our happiness and pleasure, so no thanks.
Then, suddenly (but not-so-suddenly), God’s Word is completely irrelevant. So is God. Stadiums full of people are lulled into thinking all is well from the mouth of a wolf clothed in a toothy white smile.
Friend, do not be deceived. The Bible is not only as relevant today as it was when God-inspired men wrote it, it is essential. Following God’s Word is not about limiting our happiness, but rather about ensuring our safety, satisfaction, and joy. Let’s not give in to watery, meaningless Sunday messages, cutting and pasting to make the Bible reflect the world. Find a church that stands firmly on God’s Word, shedding Light into an ever-present darkness. And open your own Bible. Don’t know where to start? Genesis 1:1 is a great place: “In the beginning, God…”
“Heavenly Father, as the enemy’s time runs short, strengthen the pastors, teachers, and churches that hold fast to Your Truth, proclaiming the whole Word. Open the eyes of men and women who are being deceived from wolf-occupied pulpits.”
For His Glory
Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life
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