Monday's thoughts

"The Age of Innocence"

This sermon will be based upon the book by Edith Wharton. Edith was born in 1862 to a wealthy New York family. She grew up in a house with a large library so literary interests were a part of her life given the environment from which she came.

She married a man who was much older than she and was not happy in her marriage. She was inspired to write as a result of trying to come to terms with some bad decisions she had made and the various ways she had ruined her life.

The book The Age of Innocence addresses some of the problems of a societal order that has changed and the ways in which class systems clash as people try to come to terms with what they do not like and do not understand.

I equate much of what I found in this book to our present age. We are living in a time of great societal and political upheaval. We are looking at a future that is unknown and there are two groups of people in a struggle with each other. There are people who have benefited from the status quo who are afraid of change. There are people who are hoping for a change in the status quo and are anticipating better times ahead. We are seeing the rising of expectations along with the falling of old systems. People are confused and afraid.

That was the environment about which Edith writes and that is the environment in which we find ourselves these days.

What do you see in the current climate and situation in the world and in your life? Are you hopeful or afraid of the future? Is change coming? Will it be good?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts and respond click on the box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster