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by Roger A. Scully Jr.
The condition and mindset of our society scares me. I have no shame in saying that. It is not that I fear for my health or
safety, but at the thoughtless, careless, selfish attitude which has come to plague our society. One reason I find this
attitude so scary is because of the ever-present possibility for this attitude to affect the church.
Paul wrote to the “church of God which is at Corinth.” The problem they were facing was that instead of the church
influencing the community, the community had influenced the church. Thus Paul wrote, “let him that thinketh he stand,
take heed lest he fall” (10:12). Though we may not think society can influence us, it often does through what I call a
“third column attack.”
A third column attack is an attack which is opposed to a frontal attack. It is an indirect attack, which is more powerful
than a frontal attack. For example, Babylon fell to Persia through a third column attack. Persia did not attack Babylon
head-on, for that would have been suicide. Instead, Persia had located many people in the Babylonian empire who
were opposed to the Babylonian government. Using these people the Persians were able to, through the course of
time, bring in many of their own people who, in one night, overthrew the city without hardly a fight (cf. Dan 6). The
frontal attack, which Satan has unleashed against us, is from denominationalism, liberalism, anti-ism and Islam. The
third column attack comes at us through T.V., school systems, Radio and our interaction with people. These things we
hardly see coming; yet they are there, in our face, striving to influence us. No, the T.V station does not say, “Hey, we
are against you, we are against your children.” Yet, they advertise and show things—sneaking into our homes—that
are in opposition to godliness. I do not think, however, that the greatest success of this attack is from the T.V. or radio.
Rather, I think it to be from those with whom we come in contact in our own community.
This attack comes in the way people dress (though dress is not the focus of this article). Trends on the street, which
are thought to be cool and fashionable, are often immodest and reveal nakedness. This is an attack because people,
especially teenagers, though not only teenagers, feel a constant need of acceptance and fitting-in, hence the desire to
wear what is cool and fashionable, a third column attack.
The attack to which I call particular attention is people’s attitude. I always try to be polite, smile and be as easy-going
as possible, even when I don’t feel like it. Yet, I often find that the rude attitudes of others cause me to develop a
careless attitude, which is certainly not becoming of a Christian. For example: today, Saturday 25th of November, I
went to Burger King for lunch and McDonald’s for dinner. At Burger King I pulled up and placed my order. After my
total was given to me and I was told to pull up to the first window I said, “thank you,” which received NO reply. I pulled to
the window and gave my $4.00, was given change and not told a single word. At the second window I was asked if I
wanted ketchup, said “no thank you,” and was given my order and the window was closed. No “thank you,” no “come
back,” nothing! Thinking that was the worse service I would see, some six hours later I was at the McDonald’s drive
thru. When I went to place my order I was told to wait. This does not usually bother me, but this time it did. Why?
Because I was told to wait so that the “lady” taking my order could talk on her cell phone. After finally placing my order,
I pulled to the window and behold, she was still on her phone. She took my money, gave me my change and closed the
window, never even looking at me—just talking on her phone. I pulled to the second window, received my order, said
thank you, and watched the young “man” look me in the eye, say nothing and close the window. Wow! Well, how did
that affect me? I was not smiling anymore, but was now angry, frustrated and not feeling like being nice. It wasn’t until I
arrived home that I realized how this affected me. I was rude to a guest in our home, and even to my wife. You see:
that is what scares me.
Christians are to be peaceable people who are gentle and good examples to all with whom we come in contact. We
should strive to “let our light so shine among men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in
heaven” (Matt 5:13ff). Yet, society often influences us, without us even realizing it, to be angry, rude and careless
about others. Before you know it, we are all acting that way and even treating each other with the same rude careless
attitude. Scary, isn’t it? Well, I regrouped, prayed and tried to be kind to other people.
Where is our society headed? To a bad place, and fast. We had better not let them influence us, or we may find that
we are no different than they. The Bible says that we are to be different (1 Pet 4:4), “wherein they think it strange that
ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.” Let us be aware of Satan’s third column attack,
and let us strive to defend against it. Let us also counter-attack with smiles and kindness, being the example, not being
influenced. Remember our Lord Jesus who “left us an example, that we should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but
committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Pet 2:21-23).
Roger A. Scully, Jr.
