By T.J. Ray
Columnist
To begin with, it is doubtful that the Anti-Christ is abroad. You know—the one
medievals expected as a sign of the Second Coming. No, he is no more abroad than
he has ever been, which is to say, he’s been here all the time, gnawing at the souls of
us all.
And this essay is not to suggest that the end of the world is near, though signs of its sad
condition are teeming. Something, however, may be nearing its end, and that may be in
the order of a natural progression. That something is Civilization as we know it.
(Remember that other cultures and times have thought themselves civilized and
invincible. But they’re gone, like the impotent trunk of Ozymandias in the sand.)
Our country, our culture, our institutions came not with a warrant, a guarantee that they
would last forever. The country has survived over two centuries, which may pale in
comparison to other vanished powers. Our culture, as noted by the belief of some folks
that the Bill of Rights has subtly become the Bill of Rites, has become so amorphous
that it seems to have no shape at all. And many of our institutions have undergone
such profound metamorphosis that one could assert they have been replaced.
Observation: America (and to no less degree the world) is in such a state that only a
cataclysm may save it. At the moment no power has asserted itself that might slow our
descent into chaos.
Failing the advent of a saving power, is there hope for the world? Will Nature invoke the
terrible deus ex machina of famine or flood or pestilence to purge the Earth of its
cancers? Might Nature not simply bring mankind to its knees and force it to begin again
on simpler, more rudimentary terms?
Other institutions have been emasculated. The church has assumed the role and
philosophy of a civic club. Perversion by priests is hardly more despicable than the lack
of concern by and for the people in the pews.
Mission groups happily traipse off to the Caribbean as though everything is fine at
home. Long ago sins have become social faux pas that can be absolved or even
approved for public practice. The family is an artifact of an earlier age.
Yes, there is that other institution — government. But where is the hope in that? The
duty of the government is apparently to arrogate the greatest power and prestige to a
political party. The greater good of the citizenry is important only when it coincides with
the party goal. Citizens do not control government; big business manages government.

A simple view of government is that it passes laws that treat all people as equal and
enforces those laws even handedly. How long ago did we abandon that way of
governing? A famous singer brings dope though the Miami airport and is punished by a
fine. A corporation confesses to major violations of law and is given a fine—no one
goes to jail.
The State of Mississippi enacted a law that will insure that corporate executives will
spend one year in jail if convicted of embezzling more than ten thousand dollars.
Hooray! But an unfortunate fellow gets three years in prison for stealing food from a
convenience store to feed his family. Jails are reserved for the poor and the poorly
represented.
So what? We endure. We keep trying. We try to light one little candle. In the simple
act of one person unselfishly helping another lead a happier, more productive life is
found the seed of hope. We do not have to go quietly into that good night—even while
we see that the approaching night is not a “good” night.
Besides, there remains Faith, Hope, and Charity. Amen.