my love burns; a beacon, beautiful irony

hoping for rain in your windy city

wipe away water bring me your love.

sing again to me wipers

tell me of his love

constant, unchanging,

as you're screeching, scraping,

wiping, clearing,

loving, caring

singing the song of his love.

in this mysterious language, cryptic and mine

they echo in code

“i love you, i need you, you'll always be mine

i'm coming for you, it's a matter of time.”

until you're here to kiss them away

my tears will be wiped as rain by your blades.

back home driving alone in the sun

i flick on my wipers

constant, unchanging,

as they're screeching, scraping,

wiping, clearing,

loving, caring

singing the song of our love.

for my whole life long,

memories of your loud, squeaky wipers

will cheer me, brighten and clear me.

so pick up your phone boy,

wipe away my loneliness

turn to the east

tonight we'll be closer

windshield-wiper teleport

the rain's gift's your soul tonight.

The stadium was packed. There was standing room only. Expectant families sat on their seats; waiting for the next game to begin. This may sound familiar, but it is not the all-American baseball crowd. This stadium is in Rome; it is the Coliseum. These families have not come to watch the Phillies or the Cardinals. They have come to watch as gladiators battle each other or unarmed people fight for their lives against starving lions. This was considered a family event, just like baseball is today. Why was this seen as fitting entertainment for anyone, far less children? Why was there such dehumanization? Events do not happen without a without a cause. Ideas have consequences, and beliefs are the of basis culture. The cultural depravity we see in America is caused by the devaluation of life. It is the result of evolution and turning our backs on God. We will take a look at some of the problems and effects in our society that does not value life and then provide a basis from which we can proclaim that life is indeed valuable.

Ever since the 1925 Scopes trials, evolution has been taught in our public schools. Now it is not only taught as a theory, but it is the only thing that is taught, and it is called truth. What does evolution say about life? Evolution claims that life originated from protoplasm that crawled onto dry land out of some scum, and evolved in order to survive. “Survival of the Fittest” a slogan of evolution; teaches that we must do whatever is necessary, at the expense of others to survive. This idea is a pervasive presupposition of much of our culture today. The only life that is valued is your own, your way, your desires above all others.

Every day four thousand babies are aborted. Rape and crime are daily fare on the news. The third highest cause of death for teens in America is suicide. They say that in a classroom of 25 students, 15 have thought about, 10 have seriously considered, 5 will attempt and two will be successful. Why is this?The problem is that they are taught that they are here by random chance and there is no purpose in their lives. A purposeless life is a request for depression.

Fast forward: On April 20, 1999; two students entered Columbine High School in Colorado, with loaded weapons. They killed 12 of their classmates and injured many more. We remember this day as the first major school shooting in what has now become an epidemic. Just in the past year there have been over two dozen more including Virgina Tech, the Amish School shooting in peaceful Lancaster County, Pa, and even a church shooting. Pop culture has attempted to provide answers. In a recent episode of the popular tv show, “One Tree Hill” they sought to address this problem. It posed the question: “Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty? This hatred? How did it find us? Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us, that we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war. Hoping for their safe return, but knowing that some will be lost along the way. When did we lose our way?” unfortunately on One tree hill they never answered these questions, or a cure. But it couldn't.

Are we all that different from the Romans? In the 20^th century there were more organized massacres that affected more people then at any other time in history. Hitler and Stalin believed in evolution just like Americans today. The difference? They had the power to take it to it's full extent. Perhaps we don't all sit around and watch as babies are aborted, or find euthanasia entertaining, but we allow it. In our culture it is considered morally acceptable. A woman's “choice”, her convenience, is of greater value than a baby's life. Truth is relative. What is accepted by the masses determines what is right and true. This is another dangerous philosophy that our culture has adopted. We aren't far from the societal depravity of the Romans. When a single life is seen as worthless and replaceable no violence should stun us. We are living in a culture of death.

We are on the brink of the abyss. You must judge if life is valuable or not. Decide for yourself what life is, is it merely a random collection of atoms and molecules, or is it something more?

Francis Shaffer and Dr. Koop said in their book What Ever Happened to the Human Race?

“That there is any respite from evil is due to some courageous people who, on the basis of personal philosophies, have led campaigns against the ill treatment and misuse of individuals. Each era faces it's own unique blend of problems. Our own time is no exception. Those who regard individuals as expendable raw material—to be molded, exploited, and then discarded—do battle on many fronts with those who see each person as unique and special, worthwhile and irreplaceable.”

Now, we know the symptoms. Is there a cure? What is it that can take our culture out of the darkness of death into the light? We innately know, or want to believe that our lives and the lives of others are valuable. But what are the grounds for such a statement? The answer is found at the very beginning of time. Gen 2:7 says that we are created in His image and likeness. We are created. God who is all-knowing, wise and present, specially designed and created us perfectly working out all of the details; so that our hearts beat, our brain ciphers incoming information, cells are made and all without our knowing. We are created in his image. Although God also created the animals he made humans “the crown of His creation”. “And He breathed in Adam the Breathe of Life and man became a living soul” God gave us a soul, we are eternal beings in his image. Humans alone are capable of a personal, spiritual relationship with Him. Even the "higher" animals — mammals, such as dogs, apes, or monkeys — who appear capable of intelligent thought, do not form a spiritual relationship with God. Unlike the rest of creation we are a reflection, even if it is faded, of Christ in that we have a sense of morality, wisdom, compassion and love.

The shorter Catechism says “God is a spirit and does not have a body”, in Gen 1 when God says that we are created in his image, he is not referring to our bodies but to our souls and our spirit. Through these God has given us the ability for loves, passions, and dreams distinctly separate and different from all others. Just as we have our own unique finger prints God has equipped us with personalities and distinctions that make life colorful and worth living. He has enabled us with a soul to believe in things and a spirit to pursue others. God sees life as incredibly valuable and has ordained our time to live and our time to die. By taking death into your own hands you set yourself up as god and by your actions claim that you control life and death. Life is so valuable to God that he sent His own Son who was fully God to become a man and to die for mankind.

In the beginning God created Adam and Eve, man and woman. He created them in perfection, they were the way He intended. One man and one woman, in fellowship with God. There was no sin or shame, however God created man with the ability to sin, with freewill to choose to sin. Sin entered Eden and by this Christ is able to show the extent of his love and provision for us. While giving us the freedom to choose our course of actions He always provides for us a way to salvation.

There are many lost and lonely people in the world today who have no hope. The only cure for our cultural and personal disease is to proclaim the hope we have in Christ. That he not only has provided a way of salvation but gives us peace and grace to find the joy in life.

Today, as Christians, we need to stand in stark opposition to the cultural norm. We need to be the antithesis, the light in the dark place. In Rome the Christians were the antithesis. They refused to submit to the polytheistic culture that held the state as god. Because the Romans saw that Christians were different from themselves and valued all people the church grew faster than at any other time in history. We need to tell people that we are not here by accident. That there is a loving God who is sovereign over all of life who created us in His image and likeness and paid such close attention to intricate detail that He even knows the number of hairs on our head. Nothing can happen to us outside of His holy will. The Roman Christians were willing to face the Coliseum to spread the hope of Christ.

America is at the edge of the cliff of moral decay. Built on the Christian principles of life, love and liberty which she has now rejected it is not long before she reaches complete cultural depravity. There are choices that must be made that will either push her over the side or help her return to her roots. Who we are depends on the choices we make. What boundaries and standards will we uphold in word and action to make it possible for people to say with certainty that moral atrocities are truly evil?