A couple of months ago, an Indiana mother was arrested for attempting to prostitute her infant daughter. The child was to be used in a pornographic film and had already been abused in this manner before on several occasions, according to the testimony of the pornographer. The crimes of this mother and the pornographer are monstrous beyond words, but it goes beyond the sickening sins of these two individuals. The truly staggering aspect is that there exists an audience for such a film or the pornographer would not have sought to make it; a silent and unseen audience, complicit and supportive of this terrible act of abuse, as evidenced by their depraved consumption of it.
When faced with this level of degradation and filth, what can be done? How can such immorality be mitigated? Perhaps it cannot. Perhaps America, and Western civilization as a whole, is due for some fire and brimstone. That is not our decision to make. Our task is to remain salt and light in a rapidly darkening world.
In addition to being used to flavor food, salt has long been used as a preservative. Salt, rubbed into meat, will prolong the shelf-life almost indefinitely. It cannot however function when rubbed onto rotten meat. It is a preservative, not a curative. We need to clearly and cogently assess our society to identify what is worth preserving and expend our efforts there, and leave the rest to rot.
In short, we need to fight. We need to cast off the inhibitions which society teaches us to feel about “judging our neighbors” and begin consistently and unapologetically speaking God’s truth against the darkness in our land. It is far easier to tread water as an “Embarrassed Believer” in the shallow end of the pool, but that level of apathy will not suffice.
Our civilization may be past saving, but I can still preserve my family. Perhaps my family can help preserve my cul-de-sac. Might be that my cul-de-sac can preserve the neighborhood. It is time to remove our lamp from underneath the bushel and place it on the table for all to see. If our civilization stands a chance of surviving the postmodern onslaught of apathetic relativism, it needs some salt.
