Ahh…a nice warm cup of tea, my favorite corner on the couch, our old Jack-Russell waiting to curl up beside my husband or me, the morning news…. That’s our routine before we each must face the work day. I love that part of the morning, something about it seems to suggest that though the day ahead might be looming, these still moments offer a kind respite before it all begins. However, the respite is slowly being crowded out as the news continues to bring stories of such deep un-rest residing close to home and throughout our world. I've learned to keep the T.V. off while soaking in the deeper truths of scripture instead! Yet in spite of, or perhaps because of, spending time with God in His written word, I find I cannot ignore these news topics either.
In the news:
Follow-ups
on Hurricane Matthew in the Southern U.S., as well as updates on the Pacific
Northwest “Typhoon” were all the rage a few weeks ago. Actually, Its hard to
put the two events in the same sentence since one has been significantly more
devastating than the other. Buildings
crumbled under the winds and rain, hundreds of lives lost in Haiti, death-tolls
rose from flood waters, and there’s a general sense that we’ve been here before,
only under different aliases like Katrina and Sandy. And depending on where one
lived, their little brother, Matt, was as much of a bully as they were. Hmmm...Bullies. Bullies are all over the news as we watch the color of our skin determine who we love and who we hate.
Of
course, also in the news is the presidential race coverage. Two women still running for president (let’s
not forget Jill Stein), and two men (Good ol’ Gary Johnson is hanging in there
too), while the two leads, Hillary and Donald, bring their own “hurricane” of
sorts, and the general public watches the trajectory of a nation, like a
weather tracker watches a storm off the coast. Distrust mounts, parties find their corners
and tighten their gloves; and we the people, are left wondering which is the
lesser of two evils.
We look for answers but answers aren't that easy. Sometimes we hear the stories and wonder if there’s any hope for a better tomorrow. What type of future will our children have based on the current world climate – a climate where “typhoons”
with water may be the least of their worries? It’s easy to think that the right government
will bring peace - That if we can just get someone good in there, it will all
be ok. But the truth is, no one person is that powerful or that good - They
were never intended to be. I am reminded
of the words of Gideon in Judges when upon his victory in battle, the people
wanted to make him king. He responded by
saying, No. if I am your king you will
look to me rather than to God as your leader.
I wonder how similar we are, looking for a man or a government to rescue
us and return us to some form of power where we may once again “thrive”. Isn’t that what the Jewish people were
looking for in Jesus too? They ushered
him in with palm branches, only to shout “crucify him!” a week later when their
“coming king” did not perform as expected. Hate becomes the means to power; and power (in one form or the other) becomes an end in itself.
We
are a disappointed and angry nation, and
from our passions come, “Crucify him”, “Crucify her". In our fear we build walls in hopes that we may sandbag ourselves from what we disdain. Maybe it goes beyond a nation. Maybe we are disappointed and angry
world. Powers posture and hold their stance. Winds from all directions converge into a
perfect storm. And we wonder what will
happen as the waters of war, politics, and disasters rise.
There
is but one place where hope is found.
The band For All Seasons, says it this way:
"Waters roar and mountains fall
you remain high above it all. You are high above it all!
Kingdoms rage and nations shake
but you remain high above it all;
you are high above it all, Almighty God!"
The band For All Seasons, says it this way:
you remain high above it all. You are high above it all!
Kingdoms rage and nations shake
but you remain high above it all;
you are high above it all, Almighty God!"
And so like David in Psalm 77, we pause to remember the One who laid the foundations of the earth, and made the sea with a breath. Where a barren life birthed a nation, while provision was
found in a thicket. Where waters obeyed, and enslaved people were freed. We recall the One who made the walls fall at the sound of His trumpeted
name. Light shined in the darkness even when the darkness could not comprehend
it. This is our God! - Strong and
powerful, High above it all!
And let us not forget that He
is also the one who comes near to the broken-hearted, visits the lonely and
rejected, and keeps our tears for safe-keeping.
He binds wounds, and forgives sins. He calls the sinner out of the sycamore to share a meal, He gave the prostitute a new name. He loved when love didn’t make sense;
and hung on a tree to shatter the power of hate, vengeance, and death…sin. And he will not forget us – you, me, the
country and this world. We are
remembered by Him. We are forgiven by
Him. We are loved by Him. I need this reminder, don't you? In the words
of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Then peeled the bells more loud and deep: God
is not dead nor doth he sleep!”* (Words penned by him during a deep grief of his own.)
These
current happenings are held in the care of The One who is both powerful and
good. Yet, like so many who have gone
before us, we wonder if He is indeed good.
We ask why in his goodness and power have things not changed. We have questions without answers. …That’s for the next blog post. For now, we will remember Isaiah 57 -
A Message from the high and
tower God,
Who lives in Eternity,
Whose name is Holy:
“I live in the high and holy
places,
But also with the low-spirited, the
spirit-crushed,
And what I do is put new spirit
in them,
Get them up and on their feet again. - Isaiah 57:15
*I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1863
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