The Collect for Lent 2 contains this jewel: "By your mighty power defend us from  ... all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul."

When the Christian spirit prevailed in America the opinions of culture and of our faith often coincided. But now that the holy Christian religion has been rejected in public life, this is no longer the case. Almost every word of the cultural conversation will be an assault to the soul of the Christian. Everything has been stood on its head.

Now criminals are lionized, and the police demonized.

Now white is black, black is white; right is wrong, and wrong is right.

Now men must become women, and women men.

Now children must be adults, and adults are praised when they act like children.

If this doesn't hurt the soul, nothing does. 

It is as if we are forced to go through life walking on our hands, our feet in the air.

Three times in the upcoming Gospel reading (John 3:1-17) Jesus precedes his golden words by "truly, truly". 

Without the "one holy catholic and apostolic faith" we are devoid of truth, and lost in darkness. Only the gospel is light, only God can protect our tender minds, and teach us to think aright. And so Sunday's Collect is a prayer that should always be on the tip of our tongues.