Saving Ourselves

Photo source nationalgeographic.com

This weekend, I had the pleasure of leisurely reading the April edition of National Geographic Magazine.  I enjoy this periodical for many reasons--top of the list is its vivid photography, but I also appreciate the glimpse it gives me into other areas around the world (even if I may disagree with its secular worldview).

One recent article was very telling and provided an interesting insight into humanity.  It was entitled "Tiny Ruins" and was a photographic journal featuring painstakingly handmade models and dioramas of post-apocalyptic cities.  One such model was a deserted subway car, filled with sand and sprouting weeds.  Another was a war-torn laundromat, compete with little rolling carts and coat hangers, littered with debris (see above).  Finally, there was a scene of the inside of a multi-story library with books strewn everywhere, a patchy ceiling and two tall trees sprouting from the floor.  Here's a photo to show you the scale of these miniature scenes:

Photo source nationalgeographic.com

The artists, Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, described the time-consuming process of building these models and shared some insight into what motivated them to create this artistic commentary of our world.  Nix offered, "Every generation feels like it's on the downward slope.  But it's really starting to feel like we're not going to be able to save ourselves."

You know something? She's right.

We can't save ourselves.

We have NEVER been able to save ourselves.

That is why Jesus had to come, to live a perfect life and to die an awful death, so that we could have hope as we put ALL our faith and trust in HIS ability to save us.

It is depressing when you read articles like this one, hear news reports about ISIS, and read war reports about Syria.  Like I've discussed before, every decade has suffered its share of evil and sin, but it is interesting that many people think this time period is different.  Maybe it is the increasingly connected global community in which we live that makes us more aware of terrorism and environmental changes, makes the world feel more small, and therefore, makes global events feel more impactful on our daily lives.

I am not entirely sure the reason, however, I do think this depression, this global awareness of evil, is a good thing.  I think it raises our consciousness that something is broken and we cannot fix it ourselves.  We as Christians know this, but perhaps for the first time the secular world is willing to admit it, too.

Lord, we lament all that is going on around the world--the sinfulness of our nation and the world at large.  We lament over the evil that is pervasive around the globe, especially in the world-torn areas of Africa and the Middle East.  We pray that you would comfort and heal those hurting, and empower the church to give, pray, and go forth, so that your kingdom would be made known unto all the earth.  Amen.


(Berlin, Jeremy. "Tiny Ruins." National Geographic.  Washington DC: April 2017 ed.  Print.)