“But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Are we living in the last days? Is this global pandemic a sign that we are nearing the end? Is the civil unrest we are now witnessing in the United States a sure sign that this historical generation will be the last? How are we to interpret what is happening in the world today in light of Scripture? Or, does Scripture even address the chaos we are now witnessing in the world?

For those who believe the Bible to be the very word of God, without any mixture of error, the answer is a resounding yes: Scripture does address the chaos. The passage quoted above from the pen of the Apostle Paul certainly addresses the rioting and looting we see all across our land. The death of George Floyd – as awful and brutal and callused as it was – may have been the instigating factor in the civil unrest we are witnessing, but it is certainly not the cause of the rioting and looting and violence happening in cities across America. There has to be an underlying cause that is fueling the flames of this senselessness.

Please allow me to take a brief aside here to state my personal views on these present events. I can state it in three simple words: ALL LIVES MATTER! Yes, that is an extreme oversimplification of an extremely complex matter, but it is my personal sentiment. God created the human race – ONE RACE. There are not multiple races, but only one. Mankind was created by God, in the image of God, and are meant to be representatives of God. Now there are multiple ethnicities, but there is only one race. And among that one race, there are good individuals and bad individuals. There are those who are respected by others, and respectful of others. And, there are those who have no respect for others, and will do harm to others if given the opportunity.

Among all the ethnicities which make up the population of planet Earth, there are good, and there are bad. The good usually do good, but have the ability to do bad; the bad usually do bad, but have the ability to do good. It is all a matter of personal choice. Right now, we are seeing an alarming number of those who are choosing to be bad and do bad.

The protests which began immediately upon the death of George Floyd started with a noble purpose: make sure the wrong done to Mr. Floyd was vindicated: Make sure those who were guilty of participating in his death were brought to justice. That point, I believe, could be agreed upon by the vast majority of the citizens of the United States.

But those protests have quickly devolved into an ugly recklessness that goes far beyond the scope of a stance for what is right. Those who now engage in rioting and looting, of physical destruction of property and physical violence against others, are no longer part of a movement to make sure a wrong is righted, but are rather a part of a display of wanton evil. You simply don’t make an action right by doing something wrong.

The cry is going out across our land to do away with the police. I, for one, stand behind our police one hundred percent. The vast majority of police officers serve their respective communities and cities courageously and sacrificially. They leave their homes and families every day, willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice protecting those they have never met from the dangers of those who would do them harm. They do this knowing full well that any day could be their last day. It could be the last time they hug their spouse, kiss their children, wave goodbye to those they love, to protect those they don’t even know. And yes, to protect those who are prone to do them harm.

On those occasions when a police officer, with ill-intent, takes it upon himself to do harm to another – whether it be because of ethnic prejudices, societal prejudices, economic prejudices, or any other form of prejudice – then that officer should be punished to the full extent of the law. A uniform and a badge does not give an officer the right to use his position to unleash his personal vendetta against those he dislikes.

But please, let’s give credit where credit is due. Let’s be sure to thank the vast majority of honest, well-meaning, self-sacrificing men and women who do their jobs faithfully, serving and protecting the communities in which they serve.

Now, back to my original question: Are we living in the last days? Well, I don’t know. And, neither does anyone else. But I will state without reservation: The Bible does speak of the climate of the days just prior to Jesus’ return as being days of civil unrest. Go back to the top of this blog and reread the words of Paul to Timothy. Those words could be repeated in local newspapers across this great country.

But, whether it is a sure sign of the impending end of history as we know it or not, it is time for good people to lift our voice and be heard. Would you join me in applauding those who serve our communities selflessly, tirelessly and sacrificially? Would you take every opportunity to thank a police officer for his/her service to your community? A simple thank-you may not sound very profound, but I guarantee you that right now, with our present state of unrest, those two words would mean the world to those who serve you and yours.

I’ll close by simply stating here: Thank you, police officers, fire-fighters, sheriff’s deputies, and all other first responders, for your service to communities and cities across this great land. As Paul said in his letter to the Romans:

“Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.”

Romans 13:1-4

One final word: Those officers who were involved in the death of George Floyd, and any others who would use their position and authority in self-serving, destructive ways, should be quickly apprehended and brought to justice. They should punished to the full extent of the law they had sworn to uphold. But, let’s not be guilty of putting them all in one basket, and judged because of the action of the very small percentage of those who would do harm. Let’s focus, rather, on the overwhelming positive influence they have in serving us, their constituents, and thank them accordingly.