Is there a solution to the woes of the world?

A learned man in later years of his life would affirm to those to whom he spoke that the world was in trouble. Sadly, he drifted into the concept of time setting for the end of the world. Like others in ages before him, the time he predicted has come and gone. The thing he was entirely correct about was his evaluation that “the world is in trouble.”

I am going to borrow a few sentiments from a column I wrote over a year ago concerning the troubles in the world. The words express my feelings exactly. Though I could again compose my concept of matters, the fact is I could not improve on what I said last year. This column will not be a total reproduction; it will only contain a paragraph or so to introduce what will be written today.

Observations from an time:

Listen as I wrote, “A casual observation of news on television or in the print media leads to the indisputable conclusion that there is great evil abroad in our nation and the world. It is heart breaking to see the reports of the killings, rapes, robberies, torture and injury humanity is inflicting upon humanity. It does not seem possible that such could be happening.”

Let me inject the events happening all over our nation as I write today in July of 2016. The killings, the demonstrations, the marches give cause to be concerned about the future of the United States. What is the answer?

I wrote further: “We rush to make rules and laws to end such atrocities. May I suggest here that laws and rules has not and will not end the evil in the world? There are not enough officers of the law to enforce all the laws and rules.” earlier The Heart of all Training: But evil originates and comes from the heart. Listen to Jesus when He said, “For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness…” (Mark 7:2122). And one writer said, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Do not these words challenge us to heed the sayings of someone years ago when they declared, “The heart of all training is the training of all the heart.” A failure to understand and institute the practice of training all the heart greatly prohibits the changing of the evil in this world. Yes, we live in perilous times.

What some great men said about from whence the training should come:

Listen to what some great men in history have said about what should be the source of our training and inspiration in life. I could quote from many more but let me share with readers just a few comments great men had to say.

Abraham Lincoln: “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”

George Washington: “It is impos- sible to rightfully govern the world without God and the Bible.”

Thomas Huxley: “The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and oppressed. The human race is not in a position to dispense with it.”

Andrew Jackson: “That book (the Bible), sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.”

Patrick Henry: “The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.”

Horace Greeley: “It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.”

Robert E. Lee: “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.” A government of laws: Now, from those observations from several great men can we not understand that a people’s government and social structure established on the Bible would be best for any society? It was back in the early 1960s I was introduced to the statements of belief of a civic organization. All six were practical and useful in an orderly society. It was one of those six statements leading to theme of this column. It said, “We believe that government should be of laws rather than men.”

For the past days I have watched the series on Hitler, the Third Reich and the atrocities inflicted upon humans by other humans. Those men were operating a government of men. It is one of the saddest stories of which I know.

Now, in these troubled times we need to learn from the Good Book the rules that will provide the “training of all the heart.”