A Time of Moral Breakdown

Moses and the Ten Commandments

According to Jonathan Sacks, "moral development is the process of developing a strong, shared moral core within society." He emphasizes the importance of having a conscience, which he views as an inner voice or guide that helps individuals distinguish between right and wrong.

As I reflect on all of this, I find myself thinking about what's happening across our entire country and world. Every day, there are more reports of mass shootings. More lives ended in senseless violence: schools, shopping centers, and movie theaters.

Yesterday, in Boulder, Colorado, one of the most peaceful cities in the United States, a citizen of Egypt threw Molotov cocktails at a group of people who were peacefully marching for the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Many people suffered burns, but no one lost their lives. No place is safe anymore. We are living through a time of moral breakdown. And it is not limited to one issue or group. We are experiencing a collapse in how we treat one another.

So many of the people I meet I meet are asking the same question. People are asking, 'What has happened to us as a nation?'

The sixth Commandment tells us clearly: "Thou Shalt Not Kill." This isn't a suggestion. It's a moral imperative. It asks us to hold on to our basic humanity, even in the face of complicated histories. This principle begins with the community and family. Then, it extends outward to how we live with one another, how we show care, how we protect the vulnerable, and how we act when no one is watching.

But what do we see today? We see people driven by selfishness, rage, indifference, and fear. We see the consequences of a society that has stopped asking what is right and what is just.

When families fall apart, when elders are abandoned, when children are neglected or raised in violence, when entire communities grow numb to the suffering around them, this is not just a social issue. It is a spiritual one. It is the result of a loss of moral obligations and shared ethical purpose.

We are living through a national and global crisis, and how we respond, both individually and collectively, will shape our nation, the world, and who each of us becomes.

We can't afford to look away. We need to return to the roots of ethical behavior, to remember what the Bible teaches and what Socrates asked of us so long ago. It is that we live thoughtfully, question deeply, and act with integrity.