WHAT’S GOING ON—A THOUGHT FOR A LOUD AND WEARY AGE
Marvin Gaye asked the question gently, almost as a plea—what’s going on—and the softness of the question is part of its power. It is not a slogan or a shout; it is a lament offered with open hands. Our own moment feels louder, sharper, more certain of its answers and less patient with its neighbors. We talk past one another, post over one another, accuse before we listen. The song still fits because the human heart has not changed. We are still searching for peace while practicing suspicion; still longing for justice while rehearsing outrage.
God has never been impressed by noise alone. He asks for a life shaped by humility and mercy. The prophet says that the Lord has already made His desire clear: to do what is just, to love mercy deeply, and to walk carefully with Him, attentive to His ways and not our pride (Micah 6:8). This is not a call to withdrawal from the world’s pain, but an invitation to step into it without becoming hardened by it. Justice without mercy becomes cruelty. Mercy without justice becomes sentiment. God binds the two together and asks us to carry them with a steady heart.
Much of today’s madness is fueled by anger that feels righteous but burns indiscriminately. The Bible warns us that human anger does not produce the kind of righteousness God is working toward in the world; it agitates more than it heals, fractures more than it restores (James 1:20). The song’s question pushes us to slow down and ask whether our words are actually helping anyone breathe easier. Are we seeking understanding, or simply trying to win. Are we speaking truth, or just speaking loudly.
Jesus speaks directly into our instinct to diagnose everyone else before examining ourselves. He teaches that we are often experts at spotting a small fault in another while ignoring the larger distortion in our own vision; only after honest self-examination can we help our brother clearly and well (Matthew 7:3-5). That teaching is not about silence; it is about clarity. It is not about passivity; it is about humility. When we listen first, we begin to see people rather than positions.
The song ends without a neat solution, and that may be its gift. The Christian hope does not deny the chaos; it plants peace right in the middle of it. The Gospel calls us to turn from evil and actively pursue peace, not as an abstract idea but as a daily practice that requires intention and courage (Psalm 34:14). As far as it depends on us, we are urged to live at peace with all, refusing to let hostility have the final word (Romans 12:18). In a world asking what’s going on, the church is invited to answer not only with truth, but with love that stays present and refuses to harden.
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Lord Jesus, slow our hearts in a frantic world. Teach us to listen before we speak, to love before we judge, and to pursue peace without surrendering truth. Make us instruments of Your mercy in the middle of the noise. Amen.
BDD
