Sadness

"Hey baby, looking for a good time?"  I think we all have a pretty good idea of what is going on behind a statement like this and are (or at least should be) repulsed at such a thing.  But honestly, this statement, generally speaking, is the American culture in a nutshell.  This is what drives (in a worst case scenario) the multi billion dollar porn industry and also drives (in only a slightly better scenario) the latest wave of mega, seeker friendly churches.  The American dream is to be healthy, wealthy and distracted from anything uncomfortable or distressing. 
Unfortunately, this mentality is miles away from the heart/mind of the Church.  The Orthodox church is all about communion with God.  Our souls are darkened, sinful and self centered, but Jesus has given us, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the tools to purify ourselves and draw close to God.  The tools of prayer, fasting and the sacraments enables us to defeat the power of the devil, the flesh and the world, by the grace of God.
With this in mind, we need to acknowledge what our response should be on the face of so much wrong.  Our sinfulness, the fallen state of our culture and corruption so ingrained in so many people should evoke a serious sadness.  We ought to be grieved at so much wrong, within ourselves and in our culture.
Sadness is not a debilitating depression but a godly response to the control so many people allow death to have.  This kind of sadness should lead us to the throne of God, deep in prayer, realizing our sheer dependence upon him. 
God is love and life and anything contrary to Him only leads to suffering and death.  Too many people don't see this and continue down the path of selfishness.  This should make us sad.  The best response is prayer: for ourselves, for our neighbor and for the world.