Before returning to our study of the Sermon on the Mount, allow me to share a quote passed on to me by Joe Keenan. It’s a statement attributed to the Roman philosopher Cicero, written in 55 BC. Though ancient, it rings with remarkable clarity and relevance today:
The budget should be balanced; the treasury should be refilled; public debt should be reduced; the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled; and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance.
More than two millennia have passed since Cicero penned these words, and yet their resonance with our current condition as a nation is undeniable. I’ve quoted this often in my presentation The Decline of Nations, because it serves as a sobering mirror. In fact, among all the nations since the fall of the Roman Empire, the United States bears the most striking resemblance to Rome in the years leading up to its collapse. We share common characteristics across numerous spheres—education, morality, entertainment, governance, and more—all of which demonstrate the sobering parallels that ought to give us pause.
Now, I realize this kind of reflection may sound bleak, even unsettling. But I would argue that such discomfort is necessary. It is both naïve and arrogant to believe that we will somehow escape the historical patterns that led to the downfall of great civilizations. The processes of moral and cultural decline are not new. They are cyclical, and unless checked by genuine repentance and spiritual renewal, they culminate in judgment.
Personally, I believe we are living in a time of divine forbearance. Though our nation deserves judgment—and may already be under it—I am persuaded that we have been preserved in part by a remnant of faithful believers who serve as salt and light in a darkening culture. This remnant has sustained gospel work, championed global evangelism, and sought to uphold righteousness amidst widespread decline. Whether that remnant remains strong enough to withhold judgment is another matter altogether. But as the old adage goes, “The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”