“Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please;
they make it under self-selected circumstances,
but under circumstances existing already,
given and transmitted from the past"
Karl Marx
Image courtesy of https://unsplash.com/@ssantema
In today's "me first" generation, people often find themselves feeling purposeless and morally adrift. A sense of moral bankruptcy stems from a culture where self-interest dominates, leaving little room for deeper meaning or communal values. As we age, our understanding of what truly matters shifts. Issues like Brexit, the economy, Covid are not the issues of tomorrow. While critical in the moment, they fade in importance for future generations. Yet, despite the change in priorities, our actions don’t exist in a vacuum. We inherit a world shaped by the choices and values of those who came before us.
Karl Marx’s insight that “Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past,” rings true today. We are the products of past generations’ decisions, and the choices we make now will echo through future history—for better or for worse.
Take, for example, The Enlightenment era. It marked the beginning of humankind's attempt to marginalize God in public life. Today, in the 21st century, we find that Christianity, once a guiding moral framework for society, has become increasingly marginalized. This shift comes with serious consequences. Our laws, once anchored in biblical morality, have begun to drift away from the values that fostered social cohesion and personal responsibility.
For centuries, there was widespread agreement on certain moral principles: it was wrong to commit adultery, to steal, to lie, or to covet. The cornerstone was the belief in loving one’s neighbor and holding God in reverence. However, like a magician performing a sleight of hand, we have slowly erased God from the picture. The consequences of this shift are everywhere—family life has disintegrated, greed has led corporations to exploit both people and resources, and individualism has surged to the point where it endangers the planet itself.
The rise of narcissism, where the "I" stands tall and alone like a meerkat on alert, has led to fractured relationships and an epidemic of loneliness. Rather than forming deep social bonds, many retreat into isolated digital worlds, with children growing up in front of screens rather than engaging in meaningful human connection. The result? Widespread loneliness, depression, and a generation adrift.
We are living in the aftermath of what Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed: "We have killed God... How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of murderers?" This existential angst runs deep, and the symptoms of our spiritual crisis are plain to see. Yet, we exist on a planet that offers endless evidence of a loving Creator. The beauty of nature, the complexity of life, the landscapes we enjoy, the stars that light up the night, and the sun that warms our days—these are all testimonies to something greater than ourselves.
We also possess rich inner lives, thanks to our consciousness. We can delight in music, poetry, the sounds of birds, and the pleasure of a shared meal. But without an acknowledgment of the source of these gifts, we risk falling into a cycle of despair, unable to derive lasting meaning from our experiences.
So, what do we tell future generations? We must remind them of God—of the Creator who set the stars in the sky and gave us the capacity to enjoy His creation. As the Psalmist writes:
“When I consider your heavens,
The work of your fingers,
The moon and the stars,
Which you have set in place,
What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you take care of them?”
(Psalm 8:3-4, BSB)
In a time when many feel lost, disconnected, and spiritually bankrupt, the solution lies not in further elevating the self but in rediscovering our place within a divinely ordered universe. Only then can we move beyond the superficial distractions of our age and reclaim a sense of purpose grounded in something greater than ourselves.