It is a beautiful Saturday in Maine. Tomorrow, Irene is supposed to pass to our west causing wind and rain. Two days ago we had several bands of thunderstorms come through dropping several inches of rain. These storms were accompanied by strong wind gusts. Somehow we survived these thunderstorms. We made it through them without fear, hype, and hours of talking heads telling us how to survive. How did we do it?
Storms are a reality in life. On a slow news week, they become the dominate story. Irene will be and is a real hurricane down south. Is it really different than their yearly hurricanes? No. Why are we so worried about this one? It could be catastrophic! So could the stroke you experience tomorrow. So could the car accident that occurs next week. Why are so many acting like this storm is all there is in the universe? Do they not know there is a God who can work through and in the wind and the waves? Do they not know that there is more to life than the hype of a storm?
As you can tell, I am not impressed with this hurricane and the hype the media is giving it. I even had someone e-mail yesterday to ask if we were canceling church on Sunday. Canceling 48 hours ahead of a storm? I sure hope they were kidding! We do not know what will happen with this storm. Today's forecast for Maine says 30 mile an hour winds with gusts to 60 (maybe) and 1 to 2 inches of rain. Are you kidding? We had this with the aforementioned thunderstorms of two days ago.
As believers we should be speaking peace into the "hype" of the modern world. We know there is a God who is sovereignly in control of all things. We know this God! We also know that there is more to life than fear of a short-term future. Yet, I find believers in this God just as fearful as those who do not know Him. Why?
A final quote from David Adam before I move to another book is in order. This passage is written to clergy, but it applies to us all.
"We, who minister, need to offer more stillness and peace to our people. How can we preach peace and the grace of God if we are stressed and strained? How can we offer healing to others if we are so sick ourselves? We need to be able to be present in the present and not to be distracted by the past or the future. We should be able to encourage people to enjoy who they are and where they are. Kilke, in his Letters on Cezanne, wrote, 'One lives os badly, because one always comes into the present distracted'."
Adams, The Road of Life, 22-23.
The past is gone. The future is uncertain. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Rest in His loving and sovereign hand. Speak His word of peace into this chaotic and troubled world.
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