Did you see the new poll that shows most Americans are in a crisis of unprecedented stress? It’s no wonder, considering what’s going on in the world and the “constant stream of crises”. We’ve dealt with the Covid pandemic for 2 years, compounded by financial troubles, record-setting inflation, and now a horrifying war in Ukraine that’s luring American politicians to the brink of a 3rd World War with a nuclear power.
People feel overwhelmed. We’ve suffered pandemics of depression, distrust, & division. People have shorter fuses & more venomous tongues. Many have resorted to unhealthy coping habits. You may not have had a good night’s sleep in a long time. Parents have been worried for their children’s physical & mental health, academic success and future well-being as their children have had to struggle through tough challenges. Our leaders have faltered & failed us in many ways. We no longer trust our institutions. We cannot believe our media. Our relationships have been strained & our lives forever changed. Our culture is morally coming apart at the seams.
We dread what more may come…and make no mistake, more disruptive & disorienting changes are on our doorstep. How do we weather this?
We need to keep our hope in the Lord.
We need to find & keep our identity in Christ.
We need to read our Bibles & pray often.
We need to stay involved in church community & rely on one another for care & prayer.
People before us have been through these kinds of terrible, trying times before-they tend to be cyclical. Our culture may be going through a “Great Reset” that leads to more evil & suppression. Yet we may be entering a time when people reach such a point of disillusionment & despair that they wake up & turn to the Lord & repent. It may be that culture is resetting to prepare the way for another “Great Awakening”! America has been through those before too. We need revival! But even if society continues toward rot & ruin, we still know this is all temporary.
Either way, Jesus’ Church must be ready to stand strong & hold out the Good News. It’s this world’s only hope. The Church really is the hope of the world, & the only thing that will last beyond it.