I try to read the bible every day. Occasionally I miss a day, and I always feel like I really missed something when I do. Lately I've been reading the Psalms. They are sensational, lyrical scripture that make me pause in meditation.
I have found a most magic time to read these thoughts, songs and prayers---between the hours of midnight and 5:00 AM. If I can't sleep, I just get up and spend an hour or so reading. There is a quiet stillness that is not present during the day, and I am able to focus solely on the messages of scripture.
Last night was such a night. After reading a few chapters, it occurred to me that we live in a world that was inconceivable just a couple of decades ago. I mean, we have more wealth in this country than any nation in the history of the world. We have material possessions beyond reason. We have instant communication with each other. If we want to learn just about anything, we can Google it and voila!---we have our answer.
Given all that, we should by all factors be the happiest nation on the happiest planet in the universe.
But we are not---not even close. As a nation, we are bitterly divided over many important issues. Race, welfare, foreign relations, health care, the role of government, etc, etc, etc. There is an air of hatred in our relationships when it comes to politics.
In our world, there is religious intolerance and hatred.
How can this be if we have so much in technology and materialism?
The answer lies in the truth. And the truth is, as is pointed out so often in Psalms and the rest of the bible, nothing on this earth will ever make us happy or fulfilled except that which comes from God. We have pretty much rejected Him in the year 2012, and we continue to move away from Him. We are less and less fulfilled and more and more conflicted. The bible points out time after time that He is watching. His judgement will be very painful.
