Hello World!
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – I am no Biblical scholar. I’m just another Christian trying to make it in…But last week’s tsunami and earthquake in Japan combined with the ominous regular updates about those nuclear reactors has got me wondering what is God up to…
From the earthquake in Haiti to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the unprecedented civil unrest in Arab countries, obviously something must be going on…Now this world has experienced disasters before, and some of them have been of our own making such as World War I and World War II…But that doesn’t mean that all Biblical scholars and intelligent people should not be pondering where are we in the course of world history…Here are some verses to consider…
“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4
Now in this passage, Jesus is rebuking the religious folk of the day for questioning His divinity when there were all types of signs that He was the Messiah. But I believe He also provides a framework for us to interpret what we see around us. I am notorious for carrying my umbrella with me even if I only see one cloud in the sky. Since I wear my locks in curls, and I don’t know how to maintain my locks, I refuse to be caught in the rain lest my locks lie limp until I see my stylist. It ain’t gonna happen’!
So if I see a cloud and deduce that rain may be on the way, what in the world am I supposed to think when these last two years have brought so much pain to people here and abroad? I’m not sure, but I’m glad I’m right with God because tomorrow is not promised…I don’t know why God allows bad things to happen to good people or natural disasters and on and on, but I believe there is no other way to survive in this world and be sane without a relationship with God…
Finally, all of this pontificating about the signs of the times doesn’t mean anything if we cannot help those around us who are suffering….If you would like to donate to Japanese relief efforts in the name of Jesus Christ, please donate to Samaritan’s Purse.
Any thoughts?
P.S. You know I had to post Prince’s song “Sign O The Times.” Man, I love Prince!
P.P.S. With all of this talk about radiation, I’m glad I decided last week to stop using microwaves to heat my food…
Recent events can be considered reminders of how in the blink of an eye, things can change. Be it due to man’s excesses regarding the wasting of the earth’s resources and what have you, to signs that parallel that in the Bible, indeed we have to do better with our relationship with God.
This means we have to be more dedicated to our walk and relationship with him even when we do fall short due to effort; we have to be more pro-active in our stewardship and practicing of the Great Commandment (paraphrasing “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind) along with the second great commandment of loving your neighbor as you love yourself (as from these 2, all of the Commandments are derived from).
I pray and trust that more of us wake up and focus on having cooler heads prevailing, but more important, to be more reflective of God and the teachings of Christ than we have been.
Thank you for the commentary and just asking us to take pause and think.
You are right Andrew…we have to first love God with all of our heart, soul and mind and then we have to show that love to others around us…it would be great if the powers that be would make decisions for the rest of us based on those principles…but the skeptic in me wonders if that is truly possible this side of Heaven…