Encouragement
Recently, a behavioral health counselor posted an urgent public service announcement on his Facebook page. You see, this man knows a thing or two about the challenges of addiction, mental illness, and the effects of which extend to entire families. This includes the incredibly hurtful things people sometimes do to those closest to them. He knows, better than most, that during stressful times, feelings of anger, depression, and resentment can often grow worse. And he has learned firsthand that the Coronavirus crisis is no exception, with sharp increases in the incidence of domestic violence. And so, as a public service to his Facebook friends, and friends of those friends, he created a clever coding system so victims could freely communicate without being discovered by their abusers. (I’ve changed elements of the post, to protect his identity). He wrote, if you are in lockdown with an abusive partner, send an email to me stating you want to purchase my latest CD, and I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you. If you feel you are in imminent danger, say you need three copies, and I will notify the police. And if minors are involved, request a copy of my children’s CD. Judging by the responses, this kind and caring counselor isn’t just offering a safety net to those who need it most urgently -- but an encouraging word of hope for everyone in this very challenging time.
Centuries ago, an ancient “father of the Church” named Cyprian posted a letter to a friend. In it he said, “This seems a cheerful world when I view it from the fair garden, here in the shadow of these vines. But if I climb some great mountain and look out over the wide land, you know exactly what I see: murderers on the high roads; pirates on the seas; under every roof, misery, and selfishness. It’s really a bad world, my friend. It is a very bad world. “
Often in mysterious ways, God is forever establishing His rule in this “world of misery and selfishness,” as Cyprian described it.
At the very points at which many people are giving up on this “bad, bad world,” God’s Spirit is present, God’s Spirit is reconciling, and healing. Indeed, God’s Spirit is more than a safety net for those who suffer misery and selfishness -- but an everlasting message of hope for every member of the community of Christ.
Now, to continue the ancient letter from Cyprian to his friend, we read, “In the midst of this, I have found a quiet and holy people. They have a joy and a strength which is a thousand times better than any pleasure or happiness. They are often despised and persecuted, but they have overcome the world. These people, dear friend, are the Christians -- and I am one of them.”
We people are the Christians. I am one of them, and you are one of them. And our Christian mission is to be with the Christ Spirit of God amid all the defects and the turmoil; to witness to the Christ Presence amid it all. We shouldn’t fight this Christian duty. We shouldn’t turn away from it. Instead, we should rejoice in it. For in ways that may be very unfamiliar to some of us, and in ways that are very uncomfortable for some of us, God is being served.
Whenever there are people in that world out there who care for others, God is being served – a spirit of service exemplified by the story of the counselor we began with.
Whenever there are people in that world out there who have compassion for others and sacrifice for others, God is being served -- a spirit of service exemplified by countless doctors and nurses, first-responders and front-line workers these past weeks and months. So let us remember our Christian duty: We can give the world Christ. Though we cannot give it more, we dare not give it less! northsalemchurch@gmail.com