full speed astern

As much as I rejoice in the good news of The Good News being embraced enthusiastically by those in Gen Z and Alpha, I am concerned.  And though 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christian, and the decline in that number seems to have bottomed out, I'm still a skeptic.

If those statistics are accurate, one would expect to see a commensurate increase in the character of our church and nation.  Though such things are hard to measure, it doesn't appear to be happening on the whole, yet.  

In many ways, I suppose I could see us as a barren tree, like the one Jesus parabled about in Luke 13:6-11.  Its frustrated owner looked for fruit for years, but found none.  He asked the gardener to cut it down.  But the wise steward advised patience, promising to add some spading and fertilizing.  So perhaps I need to exercise patience in judging myself and others as, apparently, God does, and pick up my shovel and Miracle-Gro.

And yet, we do have a problem with a key aspect of developing a fruitful faith.  It's described aptly by C.S. Lewis:

Man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track, getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - this is the only way out of our "hole".  This process of surrender - this movement full speed astern - is what Christians call repentance.

Perhaps this is how we need to move with Jesus in these troubling days - full speed astern.