By Dr Dencio S Acop
“Hardness of heart!” This is a recurring line in scripture passages of the Old Testament. It refers to the rebuke by prophets upon the chosen people of God whenever they strayed despite repeated learnings from the moral law. The phases of these ups and downs are well-documented throughout the history of Israel. They continued in an expanded way when the Word was shared with the Gentiles (non-Jews). Fast forward to today and we find that this pattern of behavior in the world hasn’t changed much. Despite all that humanity has learned about the moral life towards its own good, man keeps straying not for anything else but simply due to his weakness and imperfection. Against this light, the core teaching which lies at the foundation of every human learning worth having is that all goodness comes from the Creator of the universe. Thus, everything of value to imperfect humanity obtains its possibility from the Creator who is perfect, and who perfects everything. Whether man realizes it or not, this is the essence of narratives about the human condition up and down the centuries. At the individual or community level, such mystery is the same. After all, individuals make up families which create societies and ultimately nations. The values, therefore, which predominate through these associations cannot help but define the quality of every human life which is a part of this culture. From this rationality, it is not difficult to recognize that there is great value in the ability and capacity of these human institutions to not only learn and practice virtues that promote the human condition (not diminish it) but to share them with others guarding their integrity through time from threats of every kind. Given this backdrop, it is lamentable that there is still the continuing need to keep on reminding the world about basic moral teachings which have benefited it throughout its existence. This lamentation tries to point out this recurring reality of human brokenness, citing reasons for it, and warns about what needs to be done before man abolishes himself entirely.
If the world isn’t keen on the holistic development of the human condition, may this brief solicitude be a stark reminder. The world has always been a dark place for most of its existence, both literally and figuratively. The earth, upon which it lives on, has been around for millions of years and for most of that time dark. Man came into being at some point and survived a brutish existence living a life without morals. Later, his vulnerabilities made him realize that there is a higher power whose benevolence could help him survive. Man, therefore, turned to perceived gods like the sun or moon and developed rituals to please that god in exchange for this favor. Still, he knew no morals and lived his life amorally. Apart from his supreme intellect, man is also characterized by his passions and skillful abilities. Abominations committed by him away from what was intended by his Creator eventually made the Latter communicate with His creature in no unmistakable terms. God finally revealed Himself to Abraham. Therefore, man came to finally know who his Maker is, the One and Only True God. Fast forward through the centuries and Christianity evolved and developed through Catholicism attaining what humanity knows today about God. In all logic, the rationale for God’s “guiding” His own creation isn’t for His own benefit but for humanity’s sake. God, after all, doesn’t need man but man certainly needs God. The narrative about God relative to man is not opinion. It is fact witnessed in the life of Jesus Christ who walked among men two thousand years ago. The bottom-line question lies in how God has been able to better the lives of His human creation. If this statement is fully fathomed, it’s an understatement considering what God has promised man, which is his eternal existence beyond just the physical earth proven by the Incarnate Son’s resurrection from the dead. Fortunately for man, the development of moral wisdom came alongside its spread throughout the nations of the earth. It especially spread with the adoption of Christianity as official religion by the Roman Empire (which had paradoxically crucified Jesus Christ earlier) under the Emperor Constantine in the year 313 and the invention of the printing press in Germany in 1440, resulting in the mass printing of the Bible. Many countries, especially in Europe and eventually the United States, became Christian and spread the religion to their colonies and territories in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania through the centuries. The Second World War was pivotal as the post-war period formally established a moral liberal order with the secular world complementing the non-secular in establishing international rules which prioritized the advancement of the human condition. This formalization came through the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) signed in Paris by 85% of all countries in the world. “In God We Trust” is the official motto (adopted by the US Congress in 1956) which capsulizes the moral global order championed by the world’s most powerful nation. Despite the Cold War, Korean and Vietnam Wars, global war against terror, and other conflicts which engulfed the world since WWII, this moral order endured. However, in 2025 (79 years later), everything changed in radical fashion when the United States — the champion of that moral order — abandoned it. Ironically, it has done so to avert the dominance of an amoral power, China, as well as growing ultra-liberal ideologies at home. The radical departure, therefore, from the global order it helped establish has had both domestic and international ramifications.
Thus, the world has descended on a moral slump once again through its history, which is the second point. While such a low point has happened before, the one faced by the world today is unprecedented due to its magnitude and complexity. Viewed from the eyes of roughly half of Americans and the world, the radical and sudden pivot of the United States from moral liberal to Hobbesian order (some even call it Fascist) is both disappointing and worrisome. Republicans have pinned their hopes on billionaire Donald Trump, ironically painting him as a modern-day prophet out to “make America great again”. Nevertheless, while it is one thing for Republicans to hope for moral reforms even from a non-practitioner of morality, it is also another thing to witness the leader they have put in power destroy institutions of the liberal order at home and abroad all in the name of some vague slogan. This lamentation need not enumerate what this current leader has done and continues to do. World news is replete with those details. The point being driven at is the argument that while believers in this man portray him as some “dark night of the soul” character, Saint John of the Cross is probably turning over in his grave. If the voices of the victims of the Hobbesian order can be heard, they would probably be skewed more toward the “dark side of the soul”. It is the leader who sets the culture of any nation. But before that leader got the role, the values (or vices) of the people who gave him that role already reflected him. Thus, while those who choose the wrong decision bear accountability for their choice, a leader who leads those people to the wrong path bears more responsibility and consequent accountability. This is in the biblical warning from the passages by Matthew (18: 6-14), Mark (9:42), and Luke (17: 1-2). Before earthly wars, mankind may already have lost the spiritual battle. Men who characterize this downfall are hallowed men whose skin identify them, but whose inner souls already belong to darkness. In today’s world which may be approaching end times, due to the advancing Realist order characterized by wars, chaos, and anarchy, responsibility and accountability must be pointed out to identify right and wrong, friend from foe. Bible verses are clear about exposing leaders (not limited to Trump) who appear to advance truth but promote lies to deceive for personal gain and narrow interests away from universal truths and the common good. Such warnings are in the passages from Matthew (7:15-20 / 24:11), Ezekiel (13:3), and 2 Peter (2:1). Their character, self-serving actions, smooth talk and flattery for personal gain identify these false leaders (Matthew 7:15-20), (Romans 16:18). The spiritual battle takes precedence over earthly wars. Therefore, blessed are those who devote their lives to fighting the good fight. For, as Saint Paul wrote, the everlasting crown of righteousness awaits them (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Finally, while global peace is in a precarious state, the world may still be fortunate that its descent into chaos can be averted if global leaders choose the moral path. But a concerted effort to avert a global crisis, or worse – a global war – must be done before humanity abolishes itself entirely. What can be done? It is said that God allows evil to flourish to bring about a greater good in the world. Thus far, this has been true. Humanity has managed to survive despite all the upheavals it has endured throughout its history. These trials and errors have allowed man to not only learn how to survive by co-existing with one another but to discover that the pursuit of his own happiness lies in shared harmony with each one. For a time, especially during the post-war period, the world experienced this harmony through an established liberal moral order. But that time has long passed, and much of the current world has not lived through it, nor does it know the valuable lessons such order gave humanity. The human generations that have nurtured the lessons learned from World War II have mostly gone or are gradually fading. The avoidance of another global war, which man might not survive, lies at the core of these learned lessons. Today, even with more than sufficient technology, the drumming of such critical lessons into the hearts and minds of countries and peoples in the world, especially their leaders, no longer seem to bear much meaningful fruit. The United Nations – the international organization meant to advance world peace – is no longer listened to. America – the champion of the moral liberal order – has abandoned its leadership embracing instead the anti-democratic disorder of China and Russia. This was made possible by the Trump administration. What will now happen to the world? It seems predictable at this point. The world is finally reaching the crossroad where the material meets the spiritual – where, as in the words of C.S. Lewis: “It is no use trying to ‘see through’ first principles. If you see through everything, then everything is transparent. But a wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To ‘see through’ all things is the same as not to see.” This approaching crossroad will divide humanity. On the one hand, there will be those with confident faith in the immortality of their soul. On the other, as in the words of N.S. Lyons, “only the constant anxiety of a herd animal”.