Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I feel led this morning to say a word to the barrage of panic posts that have come across my Facebook feed in the last few weeks. From Donald Trump’s near grasp of the Republican nomination (from those both for and against him) to the latest uproar regarding Target’s new policy on gender and restrooms, it seems like the American Christian world is in a panic-at least according to my social media feeds. Stormy seas have once again upset the American Christian culture “boat” and some feel as if, once and for all, we are really, truly sinking.
“Fear not.”
The picture I attached to this blog post is one that I took of my husband and daughter last winter in Plymouth, England. It was a cold and windy night, but our time was limited in this fascinating little town, so we trekked out into the stormy dark to see the sites. We walked along a medieval sea wall in this picture, and it struck me how many thousands of people for more than a few centuries had journeyed by it as we did. Through the wind, the rain and even high tides, that wall remained. Most locals probably didn’t give it a thought, but it was a tried and true established feature. Plymouth saw the Pilgrims head off to the new world, survived some dark days during the Industrial Revolution and now is peppered with gorgeous shopping malls and a theatre district. Much has changed, for good and for evil over the years, but that wall remains the same- a strong, tested fortress.
Today, as I sit on a cold, stormy Nebraska “spring” day, I am reminded of that steadfast wall. The truth is that even that medieval wall will crumble one day but it’s strength and endurance call to mind a greater, more impenetrable fortress- the fortress of our God. I am brought to reflect on the constant Christ and his unchanging, unbreakable Word.
I wanted to remind you of the timeless, unshakable Word of Christ today. It is easy to buy into a false idea that things are worse now than they have ever been. Some are tempted to believe our once good America is now falling prey to the evils of the Left (or the Right) and we are somehow losing the battle. There is a frantic activity, particularly on social media, to somehow try and stay the tide by angry or fearful post after post.
“Peace. Be still.”
Remember how quickly and entirely Jesus calms storms.
Remember how steady and unshakable His Word has been through the centuries. I could share countless stories of how the Word of Christ and the Way of Jesus has come under attack through the years since Moses first wrote down “In the beginning.” Through the decades of Israel’s rebellion, through the persecution of God’s people by Assyria, Babylon, Rome and numerous conquerors, through the book burning, Inquisitions and governments that tried keep God’s Word from the people- His Word still remains. His Word reached you, even in this sinful, depraved, confused age (and yes, it IS a sinful age.)
“Take heart. I have overcome the world.”
Regardless of how you prayerfully choose to vote, or to shop or not shop at Target, don’t give in to despair. Proverbs 31 talks about a woman of virtue who laughs at the future. That isn’t because the future looked so much brighter in the days of Solomon. That isn’t because she was content to only look at the happy things in life and ignore the dark realities. That was because she had a hope centered in a God who could not be moved. That’s the kind of woman I want to be. A woman who does not panic and react in fear to the storms of my culture, but one who clings to the steady, unshakable Word of Christ.
a growing grace 