by Clyde Johnson

A few weeks ago I went on a motorcycle ride with some friends. I had never visited the southern portion of the Outer Banks before, so I was extremely exited about the outcome. While riding along with the wind blowing in my face, I experienced a type of freedom and excitement that is common to all bikers. As I observed the natural environment and its delicate balance, my mind begin to marvel about the creation of it all. If you have ever wondered about the same, then take a trip with me back to the beginning of the universe.

Have you ever gazed into the night skies on a clear night and wondered how did it all happened? Where did the stars and other heavenly bodies come from? How did they get there? How was this vast universe created in the first place? Is there an end to it? How far does it extend? Those are all legitimate questions whose answers are beyond human comprehension.

There is a theory called “The Big Bang Theory,” which you have probably heard of. This theory suggests that the universe was formed as the result of an explosion of a huge mass of material. It is also theorized that the universe is still expanding due to that explosion. This is all well and good, but my question is: where did the original mass come from? Perhaps the atheists can help us here.

However, I contend that man’s mental processing capabilities do not give him infinite reasoning powers. Because of the limitation put on his reasoning capabilities there are some questions he cannot answer. These questions must be entertained by someone on a much higher level. I call this spiritual entity God.

As I see it, God is the one thing that takes first place in one’s life. Christianity is the most widespread religion in America and perhaps the world. Most Americans profess to be followers of Christ, although their actions do not always support their profession. It is easy to lose focus on the teachings of Christ. Some want to enjoy worldly pleasures and maintain a Christian persona. When this happens we drift away from Christian principles, sometimes not realizing we have. “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). Please understand that I am not imposing any religious principles on the readers of this article. But I am Christian, well rooted in Christian principles and I do not apologize for that.

Throughout history the strategy of in-house division has been employed to conquer and control others. This strategy was used to control a large portion of the population during the formative years of this country and is still in place today. It is observed in the dysfunctional Congress we have in Washington, D.C. It is also observed in the division of the church. I often wonder why it takes so many churches within our local community to serve the same God. As I speak of the church I am referring to a physical structure, not the body of Christ.

I think we can make a larger impact on the ills of the community by pooling our resource and working as a unit. A conversation with a friend of mine a few days ago confirmed my belief; we were on the same accord. Have we lost focus on our Christian mission and became blinded by the ills of society? Following Christian principles is easy. We simply need to “Do the Right Thing,” which is a quote taken from a Spike Lee movie. Christianity teaches us to do what is right. The morals of society have decayed to the point that one may ask what is the right thing? Is it right to kill people as is so prevalent in our society today? Almost every day there is a shooting in this country where by several people are killed. Is it right to shut down the government and take billions of dollars out of a weak economy that is struggling to strengthen itself. Isn’t it right for us to discipline our kids instead of letting them discipline themselves? Is it right for us as parents to disrespect ourselves before our children and expect them to respect us? Isn’t it right to always engage our children encourage them to be the best they can be? The Bible reads “train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). I submit to you that anything that is not Christ-like is not “the right thing” for professed Christians.

The phrase “In God We Trust” is engraved on the nation’s currency. Although it doesn’t identify a particular God, I assume that it is referring to the Christian God since most of the population is followers of Christ. If this is indeed the case; should not Christian principles prevail in our society rather than the moral decay we are witnessing? If one examines what is proclaimed on our currency and compares it with our actions, he might ask, “Is this a nation of hypocrites?”

This is the way I see it. You be the judge.