Yesterday marked the day that Marty went back to the future with Doc. Has it really been that long since the movie made it's debut? So much has taken place in that time span that shows we are an evolving society and people. Not in terms of evolution but in terms of changing and trying to better our world and those who live in it. We don't need the future to tell us that there are any additional changes; we know there will be. We don't need the past to tell us what changes to make either; as we cannot change the past. However, we can determine to not repeat that part of the past that is out of line with our Christian faith and what God wants in our lives. Careful people we must be to not "give away" what God has given us in Jesus.
In the 60's there was a popular song, "In the year 2525" that bemoaned the downward spiral and self destruction of mankind. There was also a movement within that culture of doomsday thinking. Barry McGuire recorded the song; "The Eve of Destruction". He later went on to become a leading Christian singer and put out many very positive songs for Jesus. It's not that there hasn't always been doomsday thinking because there has. Conspiracy theorists aside, we have had a lot of doomsday events in our world over the years. Wars, rumors of wars, death, destruction, hate and violence in every corner of the world only support those who look on the negative side.
What's a Christian to do? I was once asked to preach a sermon on the end times when the Persian Gulf was first a small war to push back the enemy. You can choose who the enemy was. I put together a sermon and took my notes into the pulpit where I wasn't able to deliver. The Holy Spirit wouldn't let me preach what I had written. Instead I left the pulpit and went down among the pews full of people and talked with them about their world, my world and the world of our children. I told them about their neighbors that they didn't speak with. I told them about their community which was stagnant and had been for many years. I asked them, in light of their knowledge of those who were without Jesus, how they would feel having Christ return today and their neighbors not knowing salvation. This is the impact of the end times. This knowledge that we didn't do our best despite what we did know.
Dwight Moody was preaching to a crowd in Chicago and told the crowd he wouldn't be giving an altar call because he wanted the people to go home, think about their state and then return the next night prepared to give their lives to Jesus. That night the Chicago fire raged through the city and many were killed. Rev Moody made a commitment to never leave the pulpit again without giving an altar call. How many died that didn't know Jesus? We don't know. We can't go back to the past and yet see into the future. Today is all we have. Right now. This very moment. It's what we have to make a difference in our world.
Buy something for the homeless or give away what you have. Feed those in shelters and homeless. Listen to the lonely, visit the widows and take care of the orphans. Don't forget to take care of your own. Be productive and not a burden on others or society when God has given you the means to do just that. Talk to anyone who will listen about the hope you have within you. As Marty and Doc found out, your going back to the past can change everything in the future. Learn from the past but don't relive it. Live the future but don't neglect the present. There's plenty for all of us to do.
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