For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…No greater love has no man than this…He will never leave us or forsake us…Love one another as I have loved you…If my people who are called by my name…If God is for us, who can be against us…I will fear no evil…
I’m sure all these verses are running through the minds of most Christians as we seek His face for reassurance and answers at this time of uncertainty and unrest. Is this something that was foreseen and we should have been expecting…or is it just a part of the tribulations everyone encounters in a lifetime? God’s hand is in every situation and nothing comes as a surprise to Him…nor should it be a shock to us. When we look at the condition our world was in at the time Covid 19 came into being, something was bound to happen.
Crime didn’t totally stop while the world was on lock down, but it did diminish. Did all the weeks of isolation and quarantine not change anything? We are right back facing the all too familiar problem of racism and prejudice. Truth is, we all are prejudice in some ways towards some things…and some people. The Democrats are prejudice against the Republicans and the Republicans against them. We all get along like animals fighting over one available food source. Until we can find a common ground and determine that all deserve to eat and none should be left hungry, the conflict will only get worse.
I truly believe that man by himself will find no answers or solutions to all the faults with mankind. I am from the older generation where respect was taught, expected and earned. God was the center of all things. Now, whenever us older folks point out this fact or any other great things the past had to offer, we are told we are behind the times and need to get used to change. They like to call it progress, but the only progress I see has been in technology and electronics. There are still people in America living without inside plumbing and running water. It’s easy to see why so many believe man evolved from the monkey.
The world is made up of opposites: man and woman, black and white, life and death, love and hate, east and west and north and south…and someone said, “never the twain shall meet.” But they do meet every day and they conflict. Meeting is not the problem, acceptance is. Until we learn to accept and appreciate opposites…especially people whose color and lifestyles conflict with ours and realize that one is as important as the other, we will find no common ground and all will suffer.
As Christians we pray and hope that God will intervene and all this ugliness will go away. The only thing that will bring about immediate change would be the second coming…when God returns to claim His own and put an end to hate and evil. Many think they are ready for this to happen and pray He comes soon. I personally would rather see a slow but steady change so that everyone has a chance to be saved…not that most haven’t already been given a chance, but I’d like for my kids and grand kids to be able to grow up and experience life to the fullest…with God in the center of it.
If all of us who claim to be Christians will do more than recite Bible verses but actually DO what they say: love one another, fear no evil, humble ourselves and turn away from our evil doings, then…and only then…will God hear our prayers and heal our land. It’s easy to get discouraged and hard to see a change taking place any time soon, but we must remember who is in charge and how He works. We cannot imagine the plans He has for us, but we know it will be good for those of us who love Him. We must stand strong, not on our own strength, but leaning on Him, trusting and obeying. As He said: “In the world there will be tribulation… but I have overcome the world!
