Black and White

 Black and White

Larry D. Kettle, September 10, 2011

“Where were you when you got the news that John F. Kennedy was assassinated?”  That was a question that caused deep reflection for the great generation of boomers that were involved in a decade of dreams for a moonwalk and a decade of disillusionment with walking on earth! That question was right up there with “Do you believe that Nixon is a crook?”  The world was black and white at the time; televisions were in black and white, men wore suits that were black and white and people kept track of each other according to whether or not people were black or white.  There were stark contrasts that made the world predictable even in the midst of its confusion and chaos.  The Soviet Union, China, Cuba were lined up against the United States and Europe.  The cold war gave us clearly defined boundaries for identifying friend and foe.  The culture war gave us poignant pictures of generational differences that made an indelible impression.  Some of our World War II veterans had never realized that a man’s hair could grow so long.  The world of little Susie’s gum chewing violations gave way to the introduction of Mary Jane.  The small world of bike riding, gardening, and neighbors chitchatting over picket fences began to give way to the large and impersonal world of video-games, motion detectors, and neighbor’s warily viewing one another’s activities through cracked curtains.

Black and White was giving way to Technicolor. The age of “rabbit ear” antennas was over and cable and satellite television are now here to stay.  Technicolor has caused a blurring of the lines.  Technology has become more and more highly defined but morality has become more and more “diversified.” Color these days is defined as the way that people see the world.  Some people see it through the “rose colored glasses” of their world of video fantasy.  Others see it through the “grey shades” of relativism, hedonism and materialism.  If you are just trying to be an average citizen, minding your own business, paying your bills, and trying to wait until the weekend to lose your mind, it is getting more and more difficult to accomplish this feat!  Our small world has now become a global village and we are forced to have much wider concerns than we used to.  Trust is a rare commodity.  Faith is equated with fantasy and the media reinforces our paranoid perceptions. We are informed about threat levels, credible threats, and security concerns.  The more informed we become, the less informed we feel!

Now the question of our age is “where were you on Nine-Eleven”?  The planes that exploded into the towering targets called the World Trade Center gave us Technicolor images that we would rather forget!  The collage of red to orange explosions coupled with black smoke and grey ash are now indelibly imprinted on our national consciousness.  The next question is, “When will it happen again?”  Fear is a reality that is reinforced by an undefined enemy that doesn’t play by the rules of the Geneva Convention. Even though Osama Bin Laden’s body has been buried in a watery grave and the drones guided by our incredible armed service are scoring on targets of terror on a daily basis we still feel insecure and uneasy as a nation.

So what do we do now?  Do we increase defense spending so that we can have a perception of increased security?  Do we add more layers of bureaucracy in our intelligence community?  Oh yes, we have already done that and yet, we still do not really feel safe.  Is there a way for people to truly have security?  Is it possible to live in peace in a world of such confusion?         

The answer is a resounding yes!  However, the answer will not be found in the halls of Congress or the rose garden of the White House.  The answer is found in the faith of our founding fathers.  Their faith is documented and imprinted in every founding document and monument that they commissioned.  Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our founding fathers’ ideas about freedom, government, security, peace and the future of our country.  Our President and our Congress cannot insure that a terrorist attack will never happen again.  Our economic and military might will not guarantee our security or bring back our old reality of backyard chitchats over picket fences.  However, if we will pay attention to our moral fiber we will again be in touch with the backbone of our greatness!

I was at a conference learning how to strengthen the local church that I still have the awesome privilege of pastoring.  I had the news on in my hotel room and was putting the finishing touches on the hopeless task of making myself look presentable.  I focused on the television with my mouth hanging open as the second plane hit the south tower.  The contrast between beautiful Westcliffe Colorado and New York City could not have been more poignant! I felt guilty for being in such a gorgeous place when an event so ugly was taking place.

I finished the week out in Westcliffe and as I made my way back down the mountain road towards Canon City I noticed some colors that I love to see.  Flags were hanging everywhere, marquees proudly hailed the words, “God Bless America.” Bumper Stickers read “We will never forget” and yellow ribbon decals appeared on the vehicles belonging to the families of service personnel being deployed to harm’s way.  Churches experienced record attendance as America searched for answers.  I wish that I could say that our country found the answer at that time, but I cannot!  There is still hope because the same God that the Founding Father’s put their trust in is eternal!  He is still in control.  His Son Jesus Christ is still the Prince of Peace and He is able to protect and deliver us just as He did for those who went before us.

Indeed the world is a collage of Technicolor blurred by people who cannot keep their crayons inside the lines!  Yet the lines still exist and they have not and will not change.  Go to our founding book, the Bible, and you will find the peace and security that will keep you in times of terror.  Have a visit with a Grandma who teaches a Sunday School Class and you will find a perspective that transcends the age of terrorism.  In an age of Technicolor, there is still black and white!