Did you happen to see the
essay on 'maturity' by columnist Peggy Noonan?
The article is entitled 'If Adults Won't Grow Up, Nobody Will.'
It's a good read.
In the article Noonan points out that many of the scandals of our day have to do with adults forgetting who they are... and not acting like adults.
This
would apply to our inability to have adult-like discourse about our many social problems too...
And, she points out further that today 'everyone wants to be cool'... which certainly doesn't encourage maturity either.
As I read the article, I couldn't help but think that America's crisis of maturity is not surprising.
That's because
maturity is the fruit of a biblical culture.
Think about it...
The virtues of maturity -- like self-discipline, personal responsibility, hard work, willingness to sacrifice for others, being a good example, taking thought of what's best for the next generation -- do not arise spontaneously...
... they arise in a culture that respects
and is shaped by the Bible.
But when you take the Bible away -- as our culture has -- there's nothing to support these virtues...
And all you're left with is an eagerness to satisfy personal desires... which is pretty much the definition of 'infantile.'
So what can be done?
Well, we can't fix other people... so are focus really shouldn't be there.
But we can seek to mature ourselves...
We can immerse ourselves in the Bible...
And we can look to the Lord and trust Him in every situation He has us...
... and
then followup with decisions and actions that are fit for grownups in God's kingdom.