Good Monday morning...

 

… and the world spins in its usual pattern while its people are scratching our heads in wonder at how little of it makes sense anymore.  At least that is how I am feeling about everything going on, from wars that make no sense, to climate oddities that threaten life for people living in low lying areas.

Interestingly, the deep sorrow I feel over the death of loved ones is normal and does not bother me like the above-mentioned oddities.  Why?  I think because the death rate is 100%.  Death, while always a shock to the closest loved ones, is still expected.  Grief is our connection to our loved ones and, while unpleasant at first, grows into something meaningful as time goes on.  With my friend Bill’s death, I have been reminded of my dad’s death forty years ago.  They both died from complications of the same disease (AML).  I have caught myself saying to people that I feel closer to my dad today than I did when he died.  Our relationship did not end at his death.

Hope is nurtured when I consider this development to my awareness.  As with my growing fondness for my dad, and the hope that one day I will reunite with him in heaven and we’ll enjoy a relationship free of unfinished business, so is my hope for the end of the nonsensical stuff… bombings and shootings, etc.  I believe whole-heartedly that God is the keeper of His promises, and that the glory to be revealed will cause the suffering we endure to pale in comparison.

But hope alone does nothing if not accompanied by actions of love and obedience.  As God’s people we must seek first His kingdom which is free of the greed that leads to wars.  We must learn His way of life and find ways to connect with our neighbors in kindness.  If we can do this on an individual basis, making our day-to-day decisions to treat others the way we would like to be treated, then, like salt on an uncooked piece of meat, we can slow the progress of decay that is filling the newsreels we see daily.

So, my dear friends, don’t lose hope, find it in God’s promises and His track record of making good on them.  Love God with all your heart, mind and strength.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Pray often, all throughout the day.  Breathing prayers of wellbeing for people who are in troubling circumstances, offering words of kindness to the people you encounter, and doing acts of grace toward the same people.

It may not seem like much, but when each of us, who are called by His name, will pray and return our devotion to Him, His kingdom comes and His will is done.

For His glory,

Pastor Mike