A different world

A different world was the name of a TV program and is also a reality not only in different places around the globe but in the life I live.  When I was young it seemed most people were either Christians or had respect for Christians.  For the most part it was a good world.  It was far from perfect though. 

I believe Vietnam did more to change the world I knew more than anything else.  I just can't imagine anyone taking someone serious who thought that prayer should be banned from schools.  Yet during Vietnam the drug culture was introduced to American youth, people became brave and foolish enough to flee to other countries to avoid their duty to their country, values changed, music changed and the world in which I grew up in ceased to exist. 

I believe that people should be allowed to own guns but I just don't believe guns makes people as safe as gun owners believe they do.  It's not the gun laws or lack thereof that makes the American society so dangerous but the value system we now have in place.  There is a large anti-government sentiment.  Police are not liked, drugs are either embaraced or tolerated, and not believing in God and being hostile towards that do  are the ideas that make this country far less safe than it should be. 

Things are such now that it is not even safe to invite people to church.  I am certain this isn't the type of world I want to live in and I know that the problem is far bigger than I can possible handle.  Christ tried to love people and he was crucified for it.  I've tried for two years to get people to come to church and have failed. 

The preacher thought maybe it was the hard benches that were in sore need of replacing so we purchased chairs with 4" of padding but no one came.  He thinks now it is the size of the building but i've seen smaller and far less attractive facilities serve as a meeting places and they grew into grew churches.  "Maybe it what I preach" was a sentiment expressed by our pastor but if no one comes how do they know how or what he preaches?

I don't know what the secret is.  All I do know is I b elieve God placed me there and I will stay there until either God tells me to move on, I die, or I'm the only one left.  I just pray that some people that love Christ and want to do his will and his work will find there way there.  If they could, just maybe this could become a different world, one in which we will feel safe and proud    to live in.