I think most people would agree that our culture has gone crazy. So many things have happened in the past few months that are hard to get our minds around. It is tough to comprehend just where we are headed.

As crazy as it seems though, it’s not unexpected to those who have been paying attention to the trends our culture has been picking up over the past few years, and even for recent decades. Western culture seems to have been in a steady decline for a while, and recent events have shown that the pace is picking up.

That sounds a warning bell for western Christianity. And the warning comes in the form of a recent book by Rod Dreher, The Benedict Option. This was released in 2017, before all of the most recent craziness hit our world. But in the midst of bakers being sued for refusing to make cakes, and florists being vilified for not providing services to certain elements of society, Dreher opens our eyes to a world that is increasingly antagonistic to Christianity. So much so that it may be too late to change the direction we’re headed.

Is there a solution? Dreher thinks so. And he finds it in the most unlikely of places: the Benedictine solution from centuries ago. St. Benedict of Nursia was a sixth-century monk who, fearful of the direction his culture was headed, set about to do something about it. He created a community that was able to hold on to their faith in a word that was crumbling around them, and to do so with a longevity that still impacts our world today.

Today, we may need to do something very similar. Dreher is not calling us to escapism, leaving the world behind; because to do so would be to forsake the Great Commission. What he does urge is for the church to stop placing our hope in political leaders and the temporary reprieve that they may bring, and place our hope in something greater. He calls the church to focus on strengthening the local church body, to create new avenues of education, to develop disciplines that will carry us through crisis after crisis in this world, with our hope centered firmly on Jesus.

After all, he’s the only thing that will provide what the church needs to survive until he returns to claim his bride. Until then, we must continue to be ready.

I highly recommend you read The Benedict Option. You can purchase it on Amazon.

Most of what I read is geared around continually educating myself, primarily in the areas of spiritual growth. However, I occasionally read some fictional material, and have a few favorites. Another genre that I like to read often surprises many of my friends. I like to read poetry.

Several months ago, I purchased a book of the poetic works of Mary Oliver, called American Primitive. I promptly put it on my shelf and forgot all about it. But this week, I pulled it out and have spent some time reading through some of the selections offered. Her work is simple yet elegant, easy to read yet containing depths of meaning that strike you when you least expect it.

Oliver is a contemporary author, and has been publishing her work since the 1960s. Many of the poems in this volume are simple. But they speak right into the human heart will bless you as you read them. Containing an element of mystery, you might have to stop and consider what you read for a while,and allow it to sink in fully. But when you do, it will bring some relaxation to your soul.

I highly recommend you read some of her works. You can get a copy of American Primitive on Amazon.