"What is this world coming to?"

Last week at the library where I work, a woman reading that day's newspaper exclaimed, "What is this world coming to?!" Her gaping mouth, furrowed brow, and shaking head, though sincere, was almost comical.

Me: "What do you mean, ma'am?"

Lady: "I just can't believe people these days!"

Me: "Are you talking about the mother who was murdered in her home the other day?"

Lady: "YEA! Right here in Ann Arbor! Can you believe it? I just can't believe it! People nowadays are just crazy and so evil! People weren't like this back in my day! Nooooo way! Uh-uh! What is this world coming to?"

Me: "Well, I beg to differ ma'am. The world has always been this way."

Lady: "... has always been this - hm. Never thought about it like that. Now you're really making me think!"

Joe exit stage left through Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Later that same week in a different library:
Man: "Hey, I've seen you around the Downtown library before. You guys [security] work at the branches too?"

Me: "Yes sir, we do"

Man: "I like it better here."

Me: "O yea, how's that?"

Man: "It's quieter. It's too noisy over at Downtown"

Me: "Well, it's smaller here. But there are more families who come in with crying babies, so it's a trade-off."

Man: "Well, at least there aren't any homeless around here. Man, they're the ones who cause ALL the trouble. Can't stand them. I think I'll come around here more often. Thanks."

I remember when I used to be shocked reading the news - the violence, stupidity, greed, and just EVIL things that people are capable of. Not to say that my heart doesn't break when hearing about these things now, but really, do I expect something different?

Why is it that people are in SHOCK and their world is turned upside down when they hear that a religious leader is living a life of sin (usually involving sex and money scandals)? Yes, there's a leadership and trust issue, but he/she is human. Nothing more, nothing less. I definitely agree that especially leaders need to be held accountable and live by different standards. But nobody is immune to sin - to evil - to the Devil's schemes. Even theologically/biblically - the most fervent believers can "fall into sin" if they are not careful and alert.

It can happen to anybody. Even me.

Kind of like car accidents and cancer. Nobody plans for or wants these things. They just happen. I just laugh whenever I hear "I never thought that I would get cancer". Really, who does? Or "Don't worry, I'm a really good driver! I really am! You have no idea!"

Fact 1: Most drivers think that they are better at driving than the average motor vehicle operator.
Fact 2: Most drivers are terrible drivers.

That's why they're called "accidents".

Part of this is that some people live very sheltered lives. Even people who hear that "people live very sheltered lives" somehow think that they live outside of a bubble, when they really don't! I'm amused whenever I hear ignorant, clueless Univeristy students/Ann Arborites who claim "Ann Arbor is so safe we don't really need the police around here".

Relatively speaking, in a purely numerical sense, yes Ann Arbor is "safer" than let's say... Detroit. But Ann Arbor is full of people. And all peoples are prone to accidents and committing crimes. Whether it's drug deals, theft, murder, gangs, human trafficking, child molestors - you name it, Ann Arbor has it! We live in a fallen world.

Regarding the whole "let's blame the homeless" comment:
We so easily cast off all blame to someone else. Because that someone else is much more capable of evil than we are, and it's just easier to point fingers at people than it is to look at oneself and have your own sins exposed. And trust me, I've done a lot of finger-pointing.

"But I would never KILL anybody! So I'm innocent! That person actually murdered somebody!"
To you sir or ma'am, I invite you to read the book of Matthew, chapters 5-7. Read it and we'll talk about it afterwards.

Fact: More than half of all the "problems" I encounter working at the public library are not instigated by the "dirty, rude, crazy, dangerous homeless people".
Fact: Most of the problems are started by the rich, snobby people who think they "deserve something" - and when they don't get it, they get ticked off and start a tamper tantrum.

It's the "undeserving" who prove to be the most humble and polite. The people who think they're better than ______ and feel like they deserve something - wow, they're the REAL trouble-makers. "Blessed are the poor in spirit..."

I don't say all this out of a pessimistic and cynical heart. For me, knowing that every single person has the capacity to sin actually turns my eyes to the only eternal hope that I know, Jesus Christ. I think that lying to ourselves that we're somehow OK and better than _____ is ultimately a sign of self-sufficiency and a disillusioned sense of pride. If we're ever at the point where we are pointing our fingers at someone else and claiming, "But I would never... I can't believe some people are..." then we lose sight of the very first step in being reconciled with God: the confession that we are sinners.

What is this world coming to? The world has been full of sin and darkness longer than you or I've been alive. But Christ is that hope and light. Christ overcame the world.