By: John Van Der Brink
The gap between us and society is, in one sense, becoming wider and wider. While our children are being taught right from wrong, many are taught that there is no right and wrong. In place of traditional morals are homosexuality, gender fluidity, abortion, euthanasia, Black Lives Matter, atheism, evolutionism, transgenderism, drag queens, etc. The shock of one new development has hardly faded before something else happens.
What happens to our young people when they leave our homes and our schools? Sadly, we must acknowledge that some turn away. Why does that happen? There may be more than one reason, but it may be helpful for us as parents and for them as growing young people, to understand how we got to where we are today.
I believe the “wokism” and the other immoral practices we see today can be traced back to the 1950’s. Of course, in one sense it can be traced back to our deep Fall in Paradise where mankind has turned its back to God and rebelled against Him. But we are being “left go” today and there is a pattern and a pathway that marks that downhill trend.
Let’s look at the last 70 years and see if there is a pathway that shows how we got where we are today.
Not too many of us will remember life in the 1950’s, but some of you will have heard or studied that this was the decade of the Civil Rights Movement, the emergence of pop culture, and the beginning of the sexual revolution. There was great unrest and cultural upheaval stemming both from racial injustice and tumultuous uprisings. The mass media was beginning to sway public opinion, and traditional values related to sex were being challenged. There seemed to be a stirring in the air – a rejection of norms and a launching out into new thoughts and new ways.
The 1960s also brought about changes. Political activism became popular, group demonstrations were a growing means of expression, and rock and roll music was born. The spirit of autonomy was emerging. At the same time, America elected its first Roman Catholic president and we placed the first man on the moon. That same decade was characterized by the threat of communism and the assassination of JFK and his brother. A sense of alarm and uncertainty prevailed.
The 1970s added to the upheaval. This was the decade of the “me” generation – people were all about self-realization and self-fulfillment. This was also the decade of Roe v Wade when abortion became legal in all 50 states. Add to that the threat of nuclear war, the disillusionment with the government caused by the Nixon debacle and the dragging out of the War in Vietnam, and you have the makings of a cultural revolution.
These three decades laid the foundation for radical change in America. A sense of normalcy was disappearing. Man in America was breathing a new spirit of existence: traditions and standards are no longer authoritative; everything can be questioned and opposed.
The next several decades only added to the decay. Public school prayer was increasingly restricted and eventually forbidden, the teaching of Creationism was replaced by Evolution, abortion rights were more entrenched, even late into pregnancies, and institutional atheism was taking root. Political corruption and corporate greed abounded on every hand. Marriage and family were replaced by a focus on career and freedom from responsibility. Divorce for any reason or no reason became commonplace. In just a few decades, the emancipation from the JudeoChristian culture was complete.
Today’s society encompasses all the anti-norms of the last 70 years. But it also embraces a new ideology. Wokism is a collection of anti-God, anti-norm, me-ism, and anti-standards. Anything you think, feel or desire is ok. Woke is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English – it means “alert to racial prejudice and discrimination”. The key words are “prejudice” and “discrimination”. Those two words are fed into a public mindset uncontrolled by standards and norms – and the result is chaos. Today in America, nothing seems to be shocking anymore. There seems to be just a continual wave of immorality and indecency.
So here we are in 2023. We live in a radically changed/divided society. Even the “world” sees society on the verge of – what? We and our students are living in THIS society. We are called to parent, to educate and to prepare our students to live in THIS society. What should we say to our young people about today’s culture?
• Identify and warn – try to point out the root of wokism, where it is unbiblical, show how to avoid it.
• Become active in opposing it. Feel the responsibility we have to our fellow man.
• Try to discern what is good and what is bad.
What does that mean in terms of what our young people are facing today – at college or in the workforce? It means that we ourselves need to be aware of what is happening in society. We need to know where ideas come from, the spirit that is behind them, how they conflict with Biblical standards, etc. We cannot afford to live in an isolated bubble.
We should also join or support organizations that oppose the wokism of today. There are people who have devoted their lives to promoting traditional values in America and around the world, and they should have our moral and financial support. Some examples are as follows.
• NJ Family Policy Center – legislation within a local state.
• Alliance Defending Freedom – broader scope, often defends Religious Freedoms.
• Christian Council International – tries to prevent these matters from developing worldwide.
It is also important to have discussions with our young people about how to approach the challenges they face. There are some people who simply get angry when they see what is happening in our society. But we should think deeper than that. What we see ultimately has its roots in our rebellion against God in Paradise. There we and our children declared war against God. And now we carry the same seeds of rebellion in our hearts as we see going on around us. Do we see today in society a reflection of our own hearts? Then our anger will turn to sadness – sad because we have brought these things upon ourselves. It will also make us prayerful – that God would send revival in our land. That seems impossible and improbable, but the Lord has ways and means to bring a nation, as well as individuals, to a place of bowing before Him.
Finally, we should be careful that our concern about these things does not “consume” us. It is possible to be overly concerned about cultural issues. There are young people who know all the sports figures and records. Others know a lot about movies and actors. Hopefully, we teach against all these things. But are we Cultural Junkies who know all the latest examples of wokism? Do we fret and fume about the latest story about Biden or Kamala Harris? Are we disgusted with the liberal spin of the media? Is that what is consuming our precious time of grace? Then our position spiritually is no better than those we oppose.
Change is rampant in the world today. It is almost as if we are being caught up in a swirl of rebellion, division, uncertainty, and fear. But there is one truth which is unchangeable. There is one thing needful despite all the confusion. We need to learn that we are poor sinners, that Christ is a rich Savior, and how the two come together. May the Lord remember us and this rising generation for time and eternity.
John Van Der Brink, director of the Netherlands Reformed Christian School in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and a member of the Board of Directors of Christian Council International (CCI)