Does the Earth Move?
Ministerial Meandering
Does the earth move?
I’m not talking about a JCB digger, or a more personal activity that might result in the same phenomenon (apparently), but of our sense of stability in what I might call seismic times.
In the last ten years the world has seen an unprecedented disregard for truth and honest dealing in one government after another. The lies that are spread are only surpassed by the number of dupes that believe them, and subsequently allow their lives to be ruined - even as they continue to cheer on their power-mad heroes. There seems to be no rational explanation for the increase in greed, and need for global influence that some countries leaders now seem to exhibit.
Russia expands into Europe by the pretence of crushing fascism in Ukraine; China - having already appropriated Tibet and Hong Kong, now threatens Taiwan on the premise that it already is part of China, and is extending its influence into larger parts of Africa; and now America - or more accurately, Trump - plans to annex Canada, Greenland, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Panama Canal. Fortunately, the wombats do not seem to have plans at present to take over Australia, which seems the only large land mass left on the planet that is not currently threatened by some power-driven bully.
Oh - I forgot Antarctica, and Trump has designs on that too.
It is not surprising then, that folks come to me in the vestry, worried. Some specifically tell me that they are convinced that we are now in ‘end times’, and that the second coming of Christ must be just around the corner. Others are just overcome with a deep despair or depression that things just seem to be going from bad to worse.
Since I am not privy to God’s plans, I don’t have answers to give regarding their presuppositions, but I do have reassurance from many sources in the bible that warn us of just these sorts of happenings - but that God’s love will never leave us, even though everything else goes down the sewer pipe - or up in a mushroom cloud.
I strongly recommend that those of you who feel such a global threat should read Psalm 46. I would quote it here in its entirety, but it would take up too much room. In essence, the psalm says that although terrible things may happen, God is still in control. Revelation teaches us that too. But perhaps the most reassuring of many biblical quotes is Isaiah 54:10, which says;
‘Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.’
This means we can rest in the peace of God, even while idiots make war all over the world - and we may be caught up in it too. We may even die in it - but nothing separates us from the love of God in Jesus. Remember what Paul says in Romans?
‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
That’s good enough for me.
Philip+