Things fall apart?

Is it another "long hot summer"? I suspect that's a fairly widespread fear when people look at the news pictures of the "riots" in London and other cities, and when they hear the news of the tumbling stock markets. There's a much viewed video doing the rounds of social media of a West Indian old woman berating the hooligans who are creating the havoc (http://www.twitvid.com/4JTZH). She doesn't mince her words; in fact her language is far from middle-class; so be warned if you watch it.

But for me she is verging on the prophetic. I came across the clip through my friend, Louise, in Australia. She commented: "I like this because this woman speaks with absolute authority - and has the right to. What I cannot bear is the self-righteous judgmentalism of many on Facebook making pronouncements of one sort or another into the situation. Yes, the looters are utterly wrong, violent and in some cases really stupid and thoughtless - and yes the acts are pointless and will achieve nothing. BUT where is the grace? Where is the compassion and understanding of some of the reasons why it might have escalated to this degree? Hmmmmm. Can really only cope with Facebook in v v small and occasional doses before it sends me right over the edge...!" 
Amen, sista!


There was also this uncomfortable comment from Nathanael Johnson: "Just below the surface of our well-scrubbed society, sin, selfishness and lawlessness lurk. In the last few years, we've seen some bankers robbing people blind when they could get away with it. Now that chaos has erupted, some of the poorer classes have been (surprise surprise) just as opportunistic. The clothes and haircuts change, but people are the same as they have ever been: fallen and in need of Christ. In some ways, it makes one realize what a blessing it is when human beings do keep the law and act in responsible ways."