J. Davy Crockett III

A major railroad in the United States had a sign posted near the entrance of its expansive repair facility, where it maintained the rolling stock of the railway. The sign read, “Every accident is a result of the failure of man, methods, or material.”

The idea that modern society is influenced by idolatry seems ludicrous. Surely, most educated people have moved beyond behaviors that involve paganism—haven’t they? Hasn’t scientific progress liberated people from ancient superstition?

You may think, “This is a pretty safe subject for me. I’m certainly not influenced by idolatry!” Don’t be too sure. The Bible makes it obvious that idolatry dogs mankind’s heels in every age.

What really is the key to a balanced Christian life?

The Western world exerts tremendous energy and spends huge amounts of money on political elections. It seems like the campaigning never stops. Since money is “the mother’s milk of politics,” there are endless fundraising events bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars or euros or pounds, or whatever is the national currency. All forms of media are used to promote the bid for office—and the power that goes with it. Inordinate sums of money are spent to win elections to offices that may have relatively modest pay.

Charles Dickens (1812–1870), the popular, prolific author of Britain’s Victorian Age, penned a poignant introduction to his famous novel A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859. Now that was a long time ago, yet his description of that time certainly fits this modern age. He wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”