Swimming Against the Tide
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. ”
Last week I heard another story about someone punching another flight attendant. Yet another tale of airline violence reminded me that our society is not healthy. There were issues before the pandemic, but the post-Covid angst has not yet receded from our national consciousness. Then, I remembered a March 30, 2022, article in “The Atlantic” by Olga Khazan entitled, “Why People Are Acting So Weird.” Olga claims the world remains “weird” and even cites the Oscars when Will Smith punched Chris Rock.
I love Khazan’s quote, “During the pandemic, disorderly, rude, and unhinged conduct seems to have caught on as bread baking and Bridgerton.” Khazan provides details of the national increase of violence since the pandemic. She reminds us, “Health-care workers say their patients are behaving more violently; at one point, Missouri hospitals planned to outfit nurses with panic buttons.” Society may be in trouble when people punch the individuals trying to keep them alive.
Khazan provides examples and documentation for why “We’re all stressed out” and “People are drinking more.” She points out that “Americans have been drinking 14 percent more days a month during the pandemic, and drug overdoses have increased since 2019.” These examples help us accept the reality of how “isolation is changing us.” She confirms, “Improvement may be slow.” Yet, there is hope for a more peaceful future.
Today, pray for our society and its future. As people of faith, we believe God is working to make a better future. It is appropriate for us to look at these signs of dysfunction but not to respond with despair. Our call is to swim against the tide. Instead of succumbing to societal rage, we are called to care, even when it is challenging. Our unwavering compassion, and God’s mighty Spirit, can bring a gentler tomorrow.
