If we don’t ask who we’re becoming, someone else will answer for us

Echoes of a Fractured Age

By Andrew Crowley, Rock The Vote NZ Party Leader

Last year, my neighbour posted a note with the a reference to “2 Timothy 3”. Not being familiar with the ‘Book of Timothy’, I had to look it up.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3)

Though written nearly two millennia ago, its words feel startlingly current. It speaks of a world unravelling at the seams, where self-interest eclipses service, and appearances matter more than authenticity.

We live in an era some might call a moral crossroads. The rise of influencer culture has turned self-promotion into a virtue, while humility and quiet service are often overlooked. Wealth is flaunted, not questioned. Pride is packaged as confidence. And reverence for tradition or elders? Frequently dismissed as out of touch.

The ancient warning continues: empathy fades, forgiveness becomes rare, and instant gratification takes precedence over long-term good. “Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”—a phrase that could just as easily describe a society addicted to entertainment, consumption, and the dopamine hit of the next scroll.

Perhaps most haunting is the line: “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” In today’s terms, it might point to the rise of performative virtue—where moral posturing replaces moral courage, and public declarations of values mask a lack of real conviction. We can see that some have rejected the ‘old gods’ only to embrace new ones.

And then there’s the information age paradox: “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” We are flooded with content, yet clarity feels elusive. We know more, but understand less.

This isn’t just a critique—it’s a challenge. A call to live with integrity in a world that often rewards the opposite. To choose humility over hubris, substance over spectacle, and truth over trend.

Because if we don’t ask who we’re becoming, someone else will answer for us.