Two words that we don’t hear much these days are the words “sacred” and “reverence.”
Both words reflect an attitude of respect and sanctity that seem increasingly out of place in a world dominated by ideological conflict.
It’s not just a matter of religion is having trouble competing with the dominant moral authority of the state.
Even our societal attitudes of what is right and wrong seem to slipping.
How often do we hear of theft being treated as a kind of redress of past grievances?
Is anyone still shocked when someone in a position of influence is found to be corrupt or to lack ethics?
This is not to suggest that religion should dominate us.
It’s an observation that society has declined as the state’s moral authority has become accepted by many as absolute.
What’s legal is not always the same thing as what is right or ethical.
Secular and religious worldviews are not always in agreement and what is most important to us cannot become a simple legal determination.
Even though our society has collectively slid away from religion, we each have an individual responsibility to find moral clarity.
Michael Herman puts it this way:
“A solemn review of present actions, a reverence for others, these are things that can inform our world for the better.”
We cannot fix society as a whole simply by having clarity as to what we consider sacred or treat with reverence.
But we can correct our own course and inspire others.
Hyde In Plain Sight is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
Share this post