Who’s to blame?

We are not alone in our dismay of violence, injustice, poverty and the like, in the world around us. We all see it and feel helpless to do anything about it. But is it any different to how it always has been? I'm not sure. It certainly seems like it, but today we have far better, and instant, communication so that we are more aware of what is taking place in the world. I wonder if the Church should not take some of the blame for the conditions which we abhor? I am sure that a century or two ago the Church was more influential on society - so what has happened?  The calling of the Church, and in essence  we are the Church, was to be salt and light in the world. However, if the Church has lost its saltiness then it is incapable of being a purifying agent. If its light is dim or has gone out, then it no longer has the ability to bring light into the darkness, for darkness is simply the absence of light. Maybe it is time we began to regain our saltiness and light up the lamps again, so that we might become effective salt and light in a world that is so deperately in need of it.