The Rural Front
July 23rd, 2006 by Northern FarmerSometimes small rural towns look like the aftermath of a war. By that I mean abandoned buildings and businesses, buildings falling down or about to, a sense that it’s over. And you know, there is a war being waged, a big one and rural America is taking a hit, a big hit. Any way a person with their eyes open looks at it, here’s where it’s happening. It’s not as noticeable in the big cities because they were always a mass of confusion, but it can be seen plain as day out here. What once was a thriving area of farms, families and businesses is now a small remnant of the times gone by.
Last Friday evening our family went to what we call our town for the start of our three day church festival. An outdoor event that had Gospel Bluegrass that evening in the abandon school lot along side of our Little Bible Believen Church. Even the church building was abandon until a few years ago but the Lord had plans for it that man could not see in that little town with a population of 140 or so. As far as this whole summer goes that evening was probably the high point for myself, I mean I really enjoyed it. Good friends and an atmosphere that could not be duplicated by any amount of money that the world could come up with. The bluegrass band wasn’t really a band, it was some locals that get together every so often and basically jam. And they did so darn good I’m smiling from ear to ear yet. There’s something about being under a tent in the middle of July on a ninety degree evening with friends, listening to my favorite songs. Listening to all old fashion instruments, nothing modern. Listening and watching the banjo picker, watching those folks enjoying themselves as they called out some different song. Watching the folks tapping their feet to the music. The band just in clean farming clothes, cowboy hats or feed mill caps. I have respect for many forms of music, but that evening was mine. And to see others enjoying it as much as me warmed my heart something special.
That weekend was special in so many ways on the grounds of the schoolhouse, a three story brick building with broken windows, box elder trees growing up to almost hide most of it. To see people bring it back to life again, children playing, folks praising Jesus in a place the modern world is bent on destroying in the name of progress. But for some time now I’ve started to understand what’s really going on out here. The area’s that were the last places of strong families, of strong faith have been systematically attacked by this culture that’s only goal is to satisfy self. Now there’s very little anyone can honestly say to defend the modern way of life to me. Every way we turn we are being programmed to worship self. Rural area’s were fairly immune to most of it until television came to every corner and tore the heart out of families every where, if a person ever wants to put a point in history when it happened that would have to be it. Folks figured they could live like those Hollywood stars and thought the answer would be in the city or at least try to act like them. Meanwhile television slowly eroded in any morals it had down to pure acceptable filth that’s on it today. Farming was looked at as a bunch of dumb bumpkins. Always ignorant compared to the slick city folks.
Anything modern was considered good, no matter what it was. I’ve mentioned this many times in the past how if people 50 years ago would be dropped right into this time they’d be totally shocked at what a bunch of barbarians society has become. Take it back one hundred years or two hundred and the folks would think we have some sort of hell here. What would they think of families sitting around staring at a TV set for hours and hours? What would they think of the open homosexual displays on TV and big cities? What would they think of the modern churches that endorse it all? It’s so bad and so few care. Now some could say, hey we have it good now, it’s a little give and take but we have luxuries now they never had before. There’s modern medicine that’s so advanced, but on the other hand there’s newer deadlier diseases popping up at an alarming rate world wide that medicine can’t keep up with. There’s the break down in morals and human decency that hasn’t been seen in a couple thousand years.
And out here is where one can see the physical evidence of this society at work as it is attempting to gather people into its clutches. But I do believe that all over there’s a resistance, even if they don’t know that they are the resistance. They’re the regular folks that are taking back what was stolen from them and their families. A line is being drawn in the sand, folks rebuilding out in the heavy hit rural areas, folks with vision, folks with faith in Jesus. The Lord is gathering His people everywhere, young folks from all over are seeking God even when their parents are discouraging it with their worldly ways. Something is on the move, something big. It’s happening now.
This is what I was thinking when I was out there listening to the music the other evening. It’s not hard to see what is taking place, in fact it’s as plain as day. The culture of death is on the move big time. But for every move it makes there’s a counter move, a move of goodness, a move that loves life, not death. When a person does think about it, we’re really blessed to be living now, not for the modern so called luxuries, but to witness and be a part of what is going to be about the most interesting time in human history.
July 23rd, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Great post! Besides the crud that a TV spews out in a living room the greatest effect seems to be the homogenization of America. The regional differences that made us all unique to our place have been ironed out as we sit slack jawed in front of the screen and wish we could be just like them folks on tv, rich, handsome and happy without sweating, getting dirty or having to endure failure. We won’t even mention how TV has taught children to disrespect their elders! Can there be anything sadder then an abandoned small town school? In the name of centralization and efficiency they were closed up and children placed on buses. Tore the heart out of the towns! Keep preaching the truth about what’s happened to rural areas!
July 23rd, 2006 at 7:54 pm
I will agree totally with you Tom. The TV has melted our spiritual wall. We have started to accept sin as is instead of standing against it. The devil is sure slippery like that. Making small things look inascent when it’s not. The thing is that parents have been succombed to Tv so there kids are. Now the kids are being taught by the TV programs. What they see is what they learn. That’s why our kids are confused what is right and wrong. We tell them one thing and there favorite TV show says the opposite. It’s time to take our families back. Spent more time with our kids then the TV. I enjoyed the hang out today. It refreshes me alot to beable to sit back and relax like that.
July 23rd, 2006 at 8:41 pm
Talk about “progress” — our city of 2000 is getting a Wal-Mart Supercenter! We currently have 2 small grocery stores, and one owner commented that if he loses as much as 10% of his business, he will have to close down. That means another empty store in the downtown area. Most people think the new Wal-Mart is wonderful news.
Our breath of fresh air this weekend was spending 2 days with like-minded families about 4 hours from here, having some good clean fun, fellowship and food. Plenty of time for the boys to jam as well! I appreciated your post, Tom.
July 24th, 2006 at 3:50 am
Some quick business first. PJ posted some pictures of our oats field and the one and only Gilbert! Go here;
http://insideapicture.blogspot.com/2006/07/field-and-goose.html
OK
Brent,
Thank you sir! It’s really been on my heart to post about some of these things and it looks like my minor writers block has left. So there’ll be some hammering more often now. Good thoughts!
PJ,
We enjoyed the day so much too after a hard week, this morning I’m ready to go! Thanks for the comment.
Lynn,
Oops, I haven’t returned your e-mail yet, sorry! I will. That Wally World is one heck of a destructive bugger and I could rant a long time on it. Amazing how they can go into such a sparsly populated rural area. But I figure it’s all in the plan of the culture of death. Thanks!
Tom
July 24th, 2006 at 6:13 am
Tom,
I really enjoy your blog. I read it every day, but this is the first time I have responded. I appreciate your heart in your latest post. I completley agree with all that you have said, and as a devout bluegrass picker I appreciate your good taste in music.
One thing I wonder about though… What is the difference between the TV and the computer, now don’t get me wrong, I am as much against TV as the next and we don’t have one, but you have to admit that the computer can be a source for as much vile material as TV. I guess the answer lies in how it is used. When you have time, I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
May our Heavenly Father greatly bless you in all you do.
Drew Petrey
Boone, NC
July 24th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Ohhhh Tom!
Another good post. It almost brought tears to my eyes. We have lost so much with the loss of the rural country side. Excellent post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 24th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
Waht a great post today Tom!
July 24th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Drew,
Well first I have to say thank you for commenting!
And that’s a good point about the computer, believe me. I’ve covered that many times in the past, my disgust of the internet and do still get disgusted. Take today for example, I’ve gotten almost thirty spams sent to this blog. And in the posts where I mention Jesus name the spam is from different satan addresses. And the smut in the rest is unbelievable, I’m talking just the addresses and the messages. I never open them. I was ready to cash in the internet many times and was planning on it during Lent and prayed about it very much and the answer I recieved was keep writing. Believe it or not, I didn’t want to write anymore and have been bucking it even, but have decided to follow along and get it out.
In reality as far as I’m concerned the internet can be handled by a person, the TV cannot. I barely do anything on this computer besides the blog and check the weather, that’s it. I have no interest in surfing the internet at all. But then again you wouldn’t beleive how busy this blog can keep me both here and behind the scenes. Right now I’m a few e-mails behind and two letters that I can remember. So I guess the internet to me is nothing more than a tool for communication. I understand for many it’s an obsession.
And back to the spammers, everyday now before I delete the spam I say a prayer for the folks that do this stuff. There ain’t no better way to fight back than that eh.
Thanks.
Christina,
Thanks and I’ll have to look up that spam stuff you posted about
July 24th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Thanks Peggy!
You snuck that comment in there and I didn’t even see it
July 24th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
Tom,
I agree with you. It seems that we as Christians have a great opportunity to use the internet for the furthering of Christ’s Kingdom. It also seems to be a great way to live out the Biblical Principle of Christian Community. I am thankful for your blog as well as the many others in the Christian Agrarian movement. They greatly encourage me as a new father to raise my kids knowing the Lord through His wonderful creation, and that it’s okay to be completley different from the society and culture in which we live.
God Bless,
Drew
July 24th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Drew,
You put it good, thanks. That topped off what I was trying to say.
Tom