The Bible Column - Not in Darkness

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness…” I Thessalonians 5:4
Some time ago, I heard a rerun of an earlier broadcast of “Let’s Talk” with Sam Elliot. The subject matter was troubled youth. The guest was speaking about youth detention centers and prisons. The question of the security of these facilities was discussed. The conclusion was that for many of the offenders, our present facilities are not secure enough and that many youth are escaping and going on to commit more crimes. The conversation continued to the many problems and costs associated with all the criminal activity of all ages and what we can do. As in many of these conversations only the questions were given. True, satisfactory answers with real, long-term solutions were not found or given. The best that is offered is more education and more funding and more time to find a solution.
The best kept secret–the true answer, is found in sacred writ. The Scripture above gives the central thought. Those who are brethren in Christ are not in darkness. Yes, it is truly that simple. I realize that the majority of folk, religious or otherwise, pass this off as an outdated thought. I realize that the prevailing idea is that the Bible answer is of no value. However, I declare to you that the God of Heaven who created us knows how to help us as individuals and as a society.
Man’s ideas are dealing on the wrong end. At the very best it is only a “band aid” approach. We will never fix the problems while operating on the defense. Only when hearts are changed by the “new-birth” will any society begin to walk in light. Then, it does not matter if the facilities are secure or not, as a matter of speaking. The new-birth changes each life from within to enable us to live in a right way!