BRAVE NEW WORLD?
by Dave Wilkerson
Recently a radio news reporter ended his story by calling the 21st century a “brave new world,” referring to newly-affordable technologies that open new vistas of work, learning, and play to people of limited means. The journalist’s conclusion that social changes wrought by these technologies makes for a “brave new world” of improved humanity makes one both hope and fear the report’s truth.
Commentators often gush “brave new world” (also the title of futurist Aldous Huxley’s acclaimed 1932 book) when discussing such changes. To those hearing this proclaimed for every techno-advance or social shift decade after decade, truth becomes more important than impressions. Banal repetition of bland cliché may be one of the reasons that only 10% of Americans polled have any significant confidence in the news media (Barna Report, 1991). That means that roughly 90% of Americans doubt their news anchors. How can any person or society make sound decisions when 9 out of 10 bits of information are untrustworthy? The fact that only 28% of Americans believe in absolute truth (Barna, 1991) does not help. If ours is truly a ‘brave new world, it is a world founded on mistrust and unbelief.
No ‘brave new world,’ ours. It is anything but brave. Public school officials fear having a ‘Christmas’ break, now calling the American school tradition ‘Winter’ break, pacifying a vocal, tiny percent. Fearing government persecution, businesses hire and promote based on minority status instead of qualification. Politicians abandon many traditional constituents and all principle to whichever tiny special interest best ensures their grip on power. Power is life’s strongest intoxicant – few can handle it. Hypocrisy sludges through the halls of congress, down the senate steps, and through schools, churches and state houses across the land. Not limited to any political party, denomination or creed, the lack of principle that some public servants display clearly puts those in authority over the average citizen among the 72% believing in no absolute truth. It is as if ancient Rome has returned; each citizen worshiped the emperor as the absolute truth . . . whatever his whim, until that emperor fell to some assassin, and some vastly different ‘truth’ assumed power.
To despair at nameless, faceless politicians is easy. But we Christians have done the same by allowing unregenerate people to remain church members. How? Recently, Barna reported that less than half of interviewed church members of all denominations believe in the Bible’s accuracy, Christ’s sin-free nature, or the reality of Satan. These are foundational tenets of Christianity. The best ‘brave new world’ occurred about two millennia ago, when the followers of a wandering preacher/teacher proclaimed their master’s death and resurrection the atonement for sins of those who would accept the gift. The uprightness of these apostles’ lives, their bravery in teaching contrary to majority thought at the risk (and ultimately, loss) of their lives, caused authorities of the day to declare that this tiny band “ . . . turned the world upside down . . .”(Acts 17:6). THAT defines a brave new world.
Despite its technologies, ours is not a new world at all. The world is still that of ancient Rome, in which we Christians should harbor that same ancient fire that turns all hearts toward Christ.
Copyright © 2004-2006 Dove Aviation Ministry, Brentwood, CA
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