“In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?”

(This is part 1 of a series of reflections on current crises and Christian faith)

“In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?” (John R.W. Stott)

Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53.3)

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4.23)

There is much to grieve in our world.

We’ve been living through a time-line of events that seem to be increasing in violence and trauma. Hurricanes. Shootings. Earthquakes. Riots. It’s difficult to recall everything that’s been streaming across our TV screens in just the past six months, but we shouldn’t forget how…

…in May, there was a bombing at a teen concert in Manchester, England, killing 23, injuring 250. …in June a shooter tried to murder a group of US Congressmen during a Congressional Baseball practice, seriously injuring Congressman Steve Scalise; and how in that same month a terror attack on the London Bridge in England, killed 11, injuring 48. …in July, North Korea began a series of ICBMs test launches, raising the specter of nuclear war with the US. …in August, riots erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia during a nationalist rally, ending in an auto homicide of a peaceful protestor.

Then there are the hurricanes – Harvey floods Houston and south Texas; Irma rakes Florida, bringing floodwaters into Jacksonville; and Maria devastates Puerto Rico.

And now this month, a Las Vegas shooter kills 58, wounds over 500 at an outdoor country music festival. The more that investigators dig into the shooter’s life, the scarier the story becomes. He stockpiled weapons for months; he had a cache of explosives; he had planned to attack Chicago’s “Lollapalooza” music festival, or Boston’s Fenway Park, but those plans mysteriously failed. Such insanity. Such sorrow.

How do we avoid losing heart, when our hearts are breaking?  How do we live as followers of Jesus in this land infected with trauma and tension?

As followers of Christ, we need to guard our hearts, to guard our minds, and keep our daily walk with God vibrant.

First, guard our hearts and minds. This means keeping our heart from slipping into resignation or despair. How many times have I read recently, “When will this end?” Many folks are posting and blogging this question, and quite frankly, it is THE question we need to ask. As Christ-followers, we have the only answer that is true – this ends when Jesus returns to bring a new earth and a new heaven. We know that we’re living in a broken and warped world, but we also know that this world will be redeemed by its Maker when its Redeemer returns.

Second, guard our minds from information overload. The open portal that is the internet provides instant news and running social commentary. Although this does offer a means to be informed and aware, it’s also a potential trap.  We can lose our focus on Christ, and lose our frame-of-reference that God is still good, and present, and working, even in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death.

Last, protect our Godly rhythms of daily life. In the midst of growing tension and conflict, we need to guard the daily rhythm that can nourish our soul and safeguard our relationships. This rhythm involves regular daily practices that serve as spiritual “lattice” helping support our spirits and relationships.

Here are two daily practices that have proven life-giving to generations of believers:

Silence. Can you carve out a moment each day when you sit in silence, and seek to encounter God? Simply “being” in silence can allow your soul and mind to settle, to find clarity, to find rest. The parents of young preschoolers might groan when they read this – and I empathize. Even so, perhaps 3 minutes of silence (in bed, in the car, or even in the bathroom!) can be captured for Christ, and be a conduit of God’s grace and peace.

Silent times can include regular moments of reading Scripture and prayer. The Word of God is “living and active,” and can be the framework for our prayers and intercessions. Guard the practice of regular reading and reflection of the Scriptures. This is increasingly helpful as the news from our world feels more and more “unhinged” and out of control.

Meals with loved ones. Guard the time you’ve set aside to “break bread” together with family and loved ones. Sharing a meal can be a “sacramental” moment when the grace within us, through Christ, can be shared in conversation and encouragement with others – especially those needing a good word in the midst of a bad time.

Having an open table for others, where you welcome friends and neighbors is an important rhythm of life as well. This can be as simple as opening your dinner table to others, or meeting a friend at a favorite coffee shop.

We walk out our Christian faith in community. We each are part of the “body of Christ” here on earth.

And yet, in the midst of trial and turmoil, we can shrink away from making time to be with our community. Sometimes it’s just plain easier to hide, than to share time and space with others.

Guard your relationships well, by guarding time with your loved ones. In this way, we can indeed be a “light of the world” as the world seems to be growing ever darker.