Covid19 and other stories

Luke 21:10-36. (10) “Then he said to them: ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. (11) There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven….(25) There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. (26) Men will faint from terror apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken…(34) Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. (35) For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. (36) Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

“This isn’t how I want the world to be” …my first thought after going to sleep with the latest COVID news on my mind and waking to an article predicting a coming global famine affecting 250 million people.

Plague and famine. Nations in strife and confusion. Fear of unknown future. This is the state of our world.

Most people respond to the anguish & uncertainty by further burdening themselves with distractions, addictions, and worries—all in a fruitless attempt to numb the pain and loss. Jesus warns us not to fall into that sinkhole.

There is loss, but what exactly are we grieving? Are we like the merchants & sailors mourning Babylon in Revelation 18 when all the buying & selling abruptly stopped? (Their grief was just feeling sorry for themselves, since they had a vested interest in the exploitative world system.) Or are we like Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, concerned for shepherdless sheep who are endangered, oblivious and hardened?

We’re meant to share the holy dissatisfaction that Jesus had about the broken systems and broken people of his day. We were reminded a few Sundays ago, that we’re meant to stay alert, attuned to the unshakeable kingdom we’re receiving (Hebrews 12:28-29). Jesus said even more shaking will come; we need to watch & pray so as to be able to stand before Him. Why not stand before him now, pour out our hearts and hear his heart for this quivering world?

Reflect

1. What makes it possible for me to face the real-world problems but not let my heart become weighed down with distractions and anxieties?

2. What is God grieving about? What does He want?

Roger Seth

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