It Ain't Mayberry Anymore!

I have spent the past two days in Carlisle, PA for police chaplain's training sponsored by the International Conference of Police Chaplains. One of the points the instructor wanted to impress upon us was just how much police work has changed from a generation or so ago. He did so by showing us a couple of segments of the Andy Griffith Show (which aired from 1960-1968). The show features Andy Griffith as the sheriff of the small fictional town of Mayberry, NC. Sheriff Andy is assisted by his bumbling deputy, Barney Fife (played by the natural comedian, Don Knotts). In contrast to the work of law enforcement in this tranquil town (where the worst crime is shoplifting and the sheriff does not even wear a firearm) is the violence that police officers face today. To drive this contrast home, the instructor showed a video (shot from the dash cam of a police cruiser) in which the driver of a pickup truck that was stopped, pulled out a rifle and shot the officer 27 times. It was a disturbing video to watch ... to say the least! Ultimately the killer was apprehended, tried and sentenced. But he left behind many grief stricken people!

It ain't Mayberry anymore! Times have indeed changed ... for the worse! But this should not surprise us ... if we know our Bibles, that is. Please take a moment and read the following verses:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

So what should our response be as followers of Jesus? Entrench in fear crying out, "Woe is me. For I live among a violent, sinful people?" Hardly! Rather, we need to become more bold in proclaiming the good news of the gospel. We need to move forward into the darkness around us with the attitude of the Apostle Paul when he stated, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj