Time of Change

A worker of ours returning from over- seas after a few years took note of the shocking changes that had taken place dur­ing his absence. Washington, D.C., was his home—but how different the capital city of 1968 from that which he had known.

Yes, changes — frightening changes ­have overtaken us as a storm in the night. The old ship of state and all its crew seem destined to go down with the tempest.

Just this morning (June 5) the nation awoke to the news of another tragedy, this time the attempted assassination of Sena­tor Robert Kennedy, which resulted in his death the next morning. Again people stare at one another in stark bewilderment. It seems too much like a long nightmare. Is this really America? Has our nation come to this?

Last night the bus drivers of our capital city voted to go back to driving their buses at night, with the understanding that they would not be required to carry with them any more than ten dollars in cash. Passen­gers would use scrip instead of money. This, after a brutal murder of one of their number, and the robbery of others during a single night-223 robberies in less than five months.

A few days ago one of our beloved doc­tors who had devoted more than fifty years of his life bringing care and comfort to one of the very needy areas of Washington was attacked while making an evening house call—something he had done often. He was knocked down, beaten, stamped upon, and left for dead. Later, on his recovery bed, he whispered that he had probably helped to bring at least some of the offending teen­agers into the world.

Unfortunately, this situation is not con­fined to Washington, D.C. Little wonder that a recent Gallop poll reported that, but for the Vietnam war, the most impor­tant problem facing the United States to­day is crime and lawlessness.

An awareness of these conditions led me to read again the messages of the Old Testament prophets who spoke during the terrible declining years of ancient Israel. After noting the Authorized Version, I read from Living Prophecies,* by Ken­neth N. Taylor. How relevant the words. Listen to Hosea, "No one can even live in Samaria without being a liar, thief and bandit" (chap. 7:1). Amos, too, speaks to us today, "The alarm has sounded—listen and fear! For I, the Lord, am sending disaster into your land" (chap. 3:6). Verse 7 continues, "But always, first of all, I warn you through My prophets. This I now have done."

Today, as on the eve of Israel's history, the judgments are in the land, and from the prophets we can discern their meaning. From the rubble of ruin and riot, the words ring out, "Prepare to meet your God in judgment, O Israel" (Amos 4:12).

During these days of accelerated change, there is one greater and far more important change long overdue. That is the change that must take possession of the people who are to be ready for the final judgment day and the coming of the Lord. Surely it is time to seek the Lord! As Hosea puts it, "Oh that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him, and He will re­spond to us as surely as the coming of dawn or the rain of early spring" (Hosea 6:3).

Today the Lord speaks to the hearts of our people. "Oh, how can I give you up, My Ephraim? How can I let you go? . . How I long to help you!" (Hosea 11:8).