The Pastor’s Garage October 30th, 2020
October 30, 2020
days. The forecast says that Tuesday we are supposed to get up to about
18C. Wow! I am looking forward to that, but it may just be empty promises.
The future (more than ever it seems) is just not as certain as we once
thought it was.
Lately, I have been reflecting on the fallout of this coronavirus situation
and how it is affecting us. I know there is for some a very real physical
effect – a fever, cough etc. I know for some there are the consequences of
government protocols and shutdowns – anxiety, stress, loss of job,
isolation, financial hardship, and loss of business to name a few. Very
real things. However, there is also something that seems to be running in
the background. A quiet little monster that is eating away at our sense of
freedom and wellbeing. An underlying sense of pending doom. A feeling of
walking on eggshells. A question in our minds, “What will happen next?” or
“When are they going to take away more?” or “When will this end?” A feeling
of anger as we feel our rights and freedoms being taken away and/or
infringed upon.
I felt these things strongly a couple weeks ago while I was at an event
with a number of pastors in the area. If I had not attended this event, I
am not sure I would have been able to put my finger on it as the event
served to highlight some of the things I have been feeling. I have nothing
against the hosts of the event and it really wasn’t their fault considering
the media’s response to outbreaks and the government’s restrictions on
faith gatherings, but we were required to wear masks all day. 6 hours or so
of being together with others and we had to wear masks all day. I started
off ok at the event but as the day wore on, I became more and more agitated
about the mask. I was frustrated and felt like I was being muzzled. Near
the end I couldn’t wait to get out. I felt uneasy, anxious, frustrated and
wanted, more than anything else, for this all to end!
I think many of us are feeling these things, many times in a not so obvious
way. It is at times very subtle and yet it is always there. The funny thing
is that if we think about it, this is life. Life is not certain. Life is
not safe. The world is broken and hurting and mankind is hurtling itself
towards destruction! Without God we really are without hope. You are
actually not as free as you think and life is not as formulaic as you
hoped. The world will not give you everything you want. If God is out of
the equation, there* IS* an impending doom on the doorstep! All Covid has
done is make many of these things a little more noticeable. That all that
we thought was so secure is not.
Years ago Don Francisco wrote a song called “Adam, Where Are You?” The last
part of the song goes like this,
*And though the curse has long be brokenAdams’ sons are still the prisoners
of their fearsRushing helter skelter to destruction with their fingers in
their earsWhile the Father’s voice is calling with an urgency I’ve never
heard before”Won’t you come in from the darkness now before it’s time to
finally close the door!”*
*”Adam, Adam, where are you?Adam, Adam, where are you?Adam, Adam, I love
you!”*
I think we have been running around with our fingers in our ears and we’ve
missed hearing the voice of God. God is calling us. God wants us to lean on
Him and know Him more. God wants to be that source of safety and security
in our lives amidst the chaos and uncertainty in the world. So perhaps as
we pause in the midst of these uncertain times we may hear God’s voice
asking, “Where are you?” Maybe the sense of uncertainty is a gift because
it shows us that we have been putting our trust in things other than God.
Where is your trust? He loves you.
God bless and have a great weekend.
Pastor Dave