Why Is The World So Broken? (And How to Fix It)

Every few years, we’re told the same thing: This is the moment. This is the election. This is the movement that will finally fix things.
 
And to be fair, things can get better… and they can get worse. Not every candidate is equal in their morality or impact. Policies matter, systems can improve, and justice can move forward in real, meaningful ways.
 
But if we’re honest… something still isn’t right.
Because no matter who we elect or how much progress we seem to make, the same problems keep showing up. We continue to see corruption, division, injustice, and misuse of power. Even when we elect the people we think are good. Because even good people and good systems warp over time.
 
Why does this keep happening?
 
Most of us live inside what philosopher Charles Taylor calls “the immanent frame.” It’s a way of seeing the world where all the solutions are inside the system. If we can just get the right leaders, the right ideas, the right structures… we can fix what’s broken.
 
But what if our biggest problem isn’t our systems? What if the real problem is our hearts? No matter how many systems we fix, no system can fix the human heart.
 
That’s the tension Jesus exposes. When asked about eternal life, He doesn’t point first to systems or solutions (And if you think our systems are broken, the systems of ancient Rome were far more unjust). Instead, Jesus points to a cross-shaped life. He tells us to love God fully and love our neighbors deeply. It’s not either-or, but both-and.
 
Because the gospel doesn’t just address broken systems it addresses broken hearts. And that changes everything.
 
Christians should care deeply about justice. We should serve, love, and work for the good of our city. But don’t confuse our efforts with ultimate hope. Because the world doesn’t just need to be improved. It needs to be redeemed.
 
It needs someone from outside the system who is able to fix what’s really broken.
 
This Sunday, we’re talking about what it looks like to live a cross-shaped mission in a world that’s still broken and why Jesus offers something no system ever could.
 
I pray you’ll join us as we rethink what kind of savior we’re really looking for.