As I write these words, there have been four nights of rioting in various parts of the UK. When you read these words, will the situation have escalated \u201d\u201c or died down?<\/p>\n
It has been fascinating to hear the different solutions that have been put forward. Perhaps more money needs to be spent in deprived areas, it is suggested. Perhaps police need more powers, or stronger methods of enforcement. Others suggest that families need to take more responsibility. All these things may be true. However, most of the comments on the riots ignore the basic diagnosis that Jesus gives us, because they focus on external solutions. Jesus makes it clear that the basic problem is an internal one \u201d\u201c within people: \u201cFor from within,\u201d\u009d he says, \u201cout of people\u2019s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside,\u201d\u009d (Mark 7v20-23).<\/p>\n
The Christian diagnosis is that our hearts are infected by \u201csin\u201d\u009d \u201d\u201c that little word with \u201cI\u201d\u009d in the middle.<\/p>\n