“You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:13a, 14)
You could call the 20th century was the century of failed “utopian fantasies”. Whether we are talking about economics, military ambitions, or eugenics, thinkers that abandoned God, especially the idea of sin sought to find ways in which they could “fix the world.” Of course, they have all failed in their attempts so far, and will continue to fail because they have abandoned not only the blueprints, but the premise on the original problem (sin). Billions have now paid the price for these bad ideas.
Understanding this history (the many casualties of these false worldviews and the bad ideas that still threaten our world) is vitally important, especially for Christians. Despite the smoldering wreckage of world wars, totalitarian regimes, and technological advances, humanity is still trying to save the world without God.
In 1516, Sir Thomas More published his book “Utopia”, comparing European social/economic conditions with that of an ideal society on an imaginary island off the coast of the Americas which was called the title of that book. He implied in it that the perfect conditions of this fictional island could never exist. For centuries after More coined the word, men have sought to create their own utopias—a ‘heaven on earth’ where everyone would get along and there would be no poverty, war, or conflict of any kind.
John Lennon described such a world in his 1971 utopian song, “Imagine,” which called for a world without religion, without countries, with no possessions, no greed or hunger, and a brotherhood of man “sharing the world.” The premise of the TV show “Star Trek” was that humanity had solved these problems of war and poverty on earth, and turned their attention to space exploration, though the same interpersonal conflicts continued in every episode!
Unfortunately, all man’s attempts, and wistful thinking, to create such a society have failed miserably, with the latest attempt being the damage created by the utopian activists of the 1960s. Government programs were instituted in the 1960s to lift people out of poverty, effectively replacing the church, and instead, it trapped us in an endless cycle of heavy taxation, which only increased poverty for many.
Now we see the results of secular efforts: the very upheaval of family/societal norms, which not only led to the breakdown of moral values but also increased depression through meaninglessness. Young men struggle to find purpose (or a wife), settle down, and become productive members of society. Young women are sold a bill of lies about what brings about satisfaction, and by the time they seek to be married and start a family, they struggle to find eligible men, and often miss out on God’s natural Design of things!
The worst of it is that our nation is adrift spiritually. The common moral values we espoused (if not always followed) are gone. What was seen as good is now evil, and evil, good (Isaiah 5:20). Without a biblically-derived moral foundation, the decisions we make only make bad situations worse. The result is this divided and chaotic America we find ourselves in.
There is but one “Utopia” that is available, and it is the one I hope and pray for. It (or He) is called “Immanuel” or “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). The promised Messiah who would usher in the Kingdom of God on earth, came 700 years later in human flesh, conquering sin and death itself. After He was raised from the dead, he was also glorified before the very eyes of those who saw Him die.
He who fulfilled the first promise also promised to bring about the coming Kingdom of God through the work of empowered servants of God, called “saints” (Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1). This Paradise will happen one day for all whom God has adopted into His family, also called the “Body of Christ”. Meanwhile, WE are to be glimpses of this future of glory, through the deposit given to all true Christians, the very Holy Spirit of God within us! We are meant to “shine like stars” in a “crooked and depraved generation” (Philippians 2:15).
Jesus described us as “salt”, “light” and a “city on a hill” (Matthew 5:13-14). All these portraits are meant to convey people who stand out, not blend in! As we operate by faith in what He has promised, the world, in their rebellion will increasingly recognize the difference in what we proclaim, and rightly attribute this to the One that we Love. This Savior promised “paradise” to a thief on the cross who drew near to Him with simple faith, and now we are the very instruments of God by which others may be drawn in as well. We know that this “Utopia” is only found in intimate proximity to Immanuel, and thus we will forever celebrate “God With Us”!