WHO TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS?
If the scared and broken world cannot turn and see Jesus reflected through us, then what are we doing here?
Lately, writing is something I have struggled to do. These past weeks I’ve written a couple drafts, but ended up not posting them. I guess in some ways I feel that my hurts and my words are for me and others would not benefit from honest accounts of my emotions. Today may end up being the same.
On April 23rd, my Daddy died. That morning I called my Mom to check in, as I had done every day since Dad was sent home from the hospital. She was stressed. Her voice was quivering. Something was wrong with Dad, but she could not figure out how to help him. He was having a panic attack.. My heart broke, as I heard him in the background of that phone call crying out for his children, calling out for me and I was stuck sitting in an apartment thousands of miles away, far from his bedside. He died hours later.
You see, I should have been there. I should have been able to hold his hand and tell him I love him one more time. But I wasn’t there because we are in the middle of a pandemic, which made it impossible for me to travel from our country to his and back again. This pain will stay with me for a while, maybe forever. I said goodbye to my father’s body through a video call. I attended his funeral through a zoom meeting. I am grateful for such technology, but something about being one step removed plays with emotions. It was like I was watching a bad episode of reality TV starring my family: surreal and disconnected.
I do not share this story to bring sympathy to myself. Of course, if the Lord leads you to pray for me and my family, I will hold those prayers close. But I share as one of many who are dealing with loss and grief during this season of so many unknowns.
Today I came across a quote in a Brazilian newspaper that said, “Economies can be revived, but dead people cannot.” Immediately, I started to think of my Dad’s body lying in its casket. There is no more hope of him beating his cancer. His life has ended on this earth. He cannot be revived.
But I do have hope. My Dad is with his savior, and I will see him again. This is the hope we all have in Christ, the hope that we are commanded to share with our neighbors.
Christians, can we pause for a moment and reflect on our own actions since the news of the virus first hit our ears? We, after all, are to shine the light of Jesus in the world. We are here to reflect our savior, but have our actions reflected him?
2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Do we act out of power, love and self-disciple?
James tells us:
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose us to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
Brothers and sisters, we have been given a great gift through Christ, and we have been given a mighty task to share it. If the scared and broken world cannot turn and see Jesus reflected through us, then what are we doing here?
Exodus says, “the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Even though we may feel that the world is shaking around us, God never loses control. His steady hand leads us. His voice calls out to us.
Do we still believe that God is in control of all things? Can we not rest in his unshaken arms?
May we be a people of prayer and of calm spirits. May we be quick to listen, and slow to speak. May God be gracious to us, that we all take a moment, breathe deeply in Christ, repent, turn to him and be the first fruits that he has called us to be.
For all around us is darkness, and now more than ever we must be the light of Christ that shines in the night bringing hope to a hopeless world. For woe is the day our neighbor is looking for hope in the darkness, but we are too distracted to share hope with them.