Days of Crisis
There are three kinds of crisis.
1. Moments and times of personal stress brought about by things focused on our personal lives.
2. Dynamic circumstances that impact groups of people, and even the whole world, making a different and more dangerous today, compared to the recent past.
3. The “Existential Crisis” – a realization that we are not “in control” as much as had thought.
We can and should, and I hope do “pray for peace”, but there are sometimes situations to be resolved.
Hurricanes and earthquakes just a few of the realities of life on this planet.. to this, we are adding population and interconnected peoples.
Finally, each and every person will be challenged by sickness and finally the approach of death. It’s certainly the largest and most basic story of mankind.
At these times there are always men who feel appointed to bring people to focus on apocalyptic scriptures. However, a simple reading is helpful…
Mark 13:7-8 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
Many collective stresses are predictable: They are part and parcel of the nature of our world. “Such things must be” and the helpful advice, or instruction: “Be not troubled” – exercise your choice in the matter.
All stresses, even those that may indeed lead to catastrophic changes and even a virtual end of life as we know it – all lead to the Existential Crisis.
This will sound like thin or empty counsel, but truly, it is most liberating to finally realize how little control we (mankind around us, or we ourselves) REALLY have.
Luke 12:22-29 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
It is not only liberating, but greatly empowering:
If I cannot count on US, or ME, then who can I count on?
Don’t be afraid to reach beyond what we can reason out easily, and place faith in what we may not see, but inwardly know.
Challenges will come in days of crisis.
.. and seeking to resolve the existential crisis opens a desire for more .. more of what we need.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17 (Genuine faith is built from the Word we hear). Don’t be shocked when crisis comes, because “the Just shall live by faith”. It stimulates our hunger for what we truly need.
Jesus knew what he was doing when he fed the multitude. He is still doing this, today – not thousands, but billions.
-MB