I have spent much of this day as, I am sure, most Americans have: wondering how we have fallen so far, gone to such drastic lengths, taken such horrific strides, in developing the hatred, animosity, bitterness and malice as we see being fleshed out before us. How is it that we have reached the point that human life means nothing? That one human can wantonly, with pure malice, have such little regard for another human being that he/she can take another’s life without so much as a thought? Certainly, our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those slain police officers from the Dallas Police Department, and for those who were wounded in this senseless attack.

And yet, I don’t have to think very long to be reminded of the fact that this hatred and malice has been with us from the very beginning. It was in the early years of the existence of humanity, according to the Bible, that one brother, Cain, moved in a murderous rage, took the life of his brother, Abel. From that beginning, we have seen hatred grow more and more intense with each passing generation. History is filled with glaring episodes of man’s hatred against man, on the individual level, on the national level, on the international level, at different times focused on religious differences, political differences, idealogical differences, philosophical differences, racial differences, etc.

America has become a hotbed of “differences.” It seems that instead of being able to look at each other as human beings, we look rather at black, white, red, yellow, crying out that certain colors “matter” which would lead us to believe that other colors don’t. Why can’t we accept the fact that all lives matter? Why do we have to look at the color of a person’s skin to determine if that life matters or not? Why can’t we respect each other for who we are, and not base our opinions of one another on the pigmentation of skin?

I believe the answer is to be found in the Bible. It is there that we are told the story of how God created man in a perfect environment, and provided him with everything he would ever need. But man, in his pride and arrogance, decided that was not enough. He didn’t want what God offered: he wanted to be God! He wanted control, to make all decisions, to map out his own destiny. He chose to reject the good God intended, because he actually thought he knew better than God. Imagine that, the created thinking he was wiser than the Creator.

Now, some reading this might think that this is nothing more than philosophical/theological speculation that is beyond meaninglessness. However, I feel that this has always been the problem, and will continue to be the problem. When one claims that those of a certain skin color “matter,” is that not an indication that they are, at least to some degree, looking down on those who do not have that particular color? And is that not playing God? God is the only one who can make judgments of this nature, and His judgment is simply that He created all men equal. There is no such thing as white supremacy, black supremacy, etc, in God’s economy. Those distinctions are a creation of fallen man.

The fact of the matter is that God gave man a chance, and he blew it. I am not talking about Adam and Eve in that perfect garden paradise – I am talking about every one of us. We are all fallen in sin, and in desperate need of salvation. Yes, we need to be saved in the spiritual sense through the precious blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as our substitute. But we need to be saved from ourselves. We need to see that our bitterness and hatred toward one another is simply because of our god-complex, which compels us to think that some are better than others.

No race, no ethnicity, no nationality, no political alliance, no international unions, will ever be able to change the human heart. Only the grace of God can do that. And it is only by the grace of God that we don’t see more of the atrocities being witnessed in our nation. For those of us who profess to be Christians, it is time for us to show the true love of God. To share the wonderful news of God’s gracious gift of salvation to those who would accept His Son.

Jesus warned of these perilous times, so they should not catch us off-guard. And He also instructed to be the light shining out in this world of spiritual darkness so that they may see their way out of that darkness into the light of His love and grace.