An explosion of mass destruction just occurred but you don’t see people fleeing for their lives. On the contrary, from the President to media personalities across the country, many are applauding the “courage” of someone who has become the poster child for moral decay.

The announcement by NBA player Jason Collins that he is gay is the “event horizon” of our culture. It marks the moment when the prevailing influence makers celebrate the mockery they’ve made of America’s moral foundation, unaware that they, like Nero fiddling at Rome’s destruction, are sliding down the black hole of cultural depravity.

With their carefully crafted imagery they cement society’s commitment to licentiousness and abandonment of liberty. How did we get here? By losing our grip on common values such as the ten commandments and the principles of liberty. By listening to the siren call of convenience. By exchanging trust in God for trust in Federal Government. By asking our government to give us stuff even if it meant taking our neighbor’s stuff to satisfy our lust. By being more concerned about protecting our stuff than protecting our principles.

Do you remember a time when the following qualities were taught, encouraged and modeled? Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean. Reverent.

The Boy Scout Law was not unique to the Boy Scouts but codified a standard Americans believed in. Through families, neighborhoods, churches and groups like the Scouts a common love of goodness flowed through society. Striving after these qualities didn’t make America perfect but it provided the guidance to continually overcome failures and shortcomings that marred our past.

Sadly, the influence of these kinds of small groups diminished through a variety of factors and, tragically, new values have been replaced by a small group of powerful and influential people in media, politics and academics. Those values that shaped goodness in the American character have now been replaced:

• Trustworthy is now Duplicity

• Loyal is now Self-Centered

• Helpful is now Helpless

• Friendly is now Friended

• Courteous is now Unruly

• Kind is now Arrogant

• Obedient is now Self-Willed

• Cheerful is now Petulant

• Thrifty is now Insatiable

• Brave is now Paralyzed

• Clean is now Vile

• Reverent is now Sanctimonious or Ribald

But more analysis is not the answer; we are living our worst nightmares…

Earlier I asked how we got here. The more pressing question is: how do we get back? If we believe America was founded on timeless principles that God wove into the fabric of human existence, then we must put our faith in them and believe they still ring true in good hearts. Secondly, we must employ the mechanism designed to be the most effective for passing them along, namely, small groups. The smallest living organism is the cell; as it divides it multiplies so that within a very short time a single cell has become a tissue, a tissue an organ, multiple organs with specific functions form a body, that is life.

So then let us commit to forming these associations, first within our own families, our neighborhoods, our communities. Get a good study guide on the essentials of liberty to guide the discussion. Emphasize action. To ensure success keep Faith In God at the center; more specifically let Jesus Christ be the nucleus of the group to use each individual as His hands, eyes and mouthpiece to bring healing and hope. As you grow in wisdom, action and numbers divide the groups and continue to grow your influence. We didn’t get here overnight and we won’t get it back any faster.

Difficult times are ahead; we will need each other and Him now more than ever.