Another gem from G. K. Chesterton

The more things change, the more they stay the same - part two. I was reminded of this by a quote from G. K. Chesterton from the Daily News, Oct. 5, 1912. It is really the fulfillment of the Preacher’s description in Ecclesiastes, “…there is nothing new under the sun” (1:9).

“Suppose, for some reason or other, our great-great-grandchildren come to the conclusion that the 20th century was the beginning of a relapse into barbarism, like the decline of Rome. They will have plenty of coincident facts to quote; the nature-worship which we call pantheism, the power of the medicine-men whom we call scientific specialists, the belief in tribal curses and destinies which we can heredity, the disproportionate preoccupation with the tribe or pack which we call sociology, the Nietzscheans with their worship of force, the Eugenists with their hints of infanticide.” Again, this was written in October of 1912.

God grant us His grace and the power of His Spirit to be His witnesses for truth and light in these darkened days.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same...

I surprised myself the other day. It was with regard to Russia invading Ukraine. I naively wondered “Haven’t we gotten beyond this?” What I meant was “Aren’t we at a point in civilization that we no longer take other peoples’ land by force?”

Like I said, naïve. It is the problem of sin in every last one of us. It’s as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once wrote, “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart…even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains…an uprooted small corner of evil.”

Thanks be to God Who has forgiven us all our sin in Christ Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection! God bless you by His Spirit’s leading as you serve Him and remain confident in His grace in these days to come. God bless and keep the people of Ukraine.

A ready answer from G. K. C.

“It is no disgrace to Christianity, it is no disgrace to any great religion, that its counsels of perfection have not made every single person perfect. If after centuries a disparity is still found between its ideal and its followers, it only means that the religion still maintains the ideal, and the followers still need it.”

G. K Chesterton, Illustrated London News, March. 2, 1929.