I’m not sure how you are going at present but I have stopped watching the news on TV and reading the newspaper. For those of you who know me that is a pretty big step. I usually watch the 5am news in the morning, the 5pm news and then the 6pm news and read the newspaper from cover to cover and login regularly during the day to online news. I have done this because I have, like many people, become so saddened and depressed about the state of our world and our nation and state.
Now in our 6th lockdown in Victoria hearing every day the state of the pandemic has made me feel like I’m losing my faith in God. I was at the point asking why God has allowed this to happen and struggling to answer that question when I’m asked by others. I have been angry, depressed, confused, to the point where I lay awake wondering about what the numbers are going to be tomorrow and what new announcement is going to come from the Premier and National Cabinet. There was not much merriment in my heart and I’m probably not a lot of fun to be around.
One of the few things I look forward to is getting up at 3.30am and taking the dog for a walk for an hour and a half. No one is around to worry about – no TV – no news – where I can just be me with my thoughts (and the dog). As I mentioned last week, lately I feel a lot like Elijah, exhausted and saying – It’s enough Lord. But this week I read our reading from Paul – his letter to the Ephesians. A letter written by Paul while imprisoned because of his faith. And I wondered to myself, how did Paul deal with it? How did Paul reconcile the fact that he had given up everything for God and he ends up in prison and severely persecuted along the way? How did Paul deal with it? What advice and encouragement can Paul give us?
Well, he tells us: Be filled with the Spirit, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, sing and make melody to the Lord in your hearts, give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does that mean living irresponsibly or without care for what’s happening in the world because, well, I’m a Christian and I don’t have to worry about anything? No. But it means that I can live my life not brought down by the things of the world even when I watch the news with so much sadness in the world.
Sadly I had stopped singing and making melody to the Lord in my heart because I was so sad and fearful about everything. Usually you’ll catch me humming or whistling a hymn, song or part of the liturgy from last week.
Instead I worry about things: Did I QR code at that last place correctly? Did I read the questions before I answered them and answer them honestly? Did I sanitise properly. Oops, I forgot to put my mask on.
Woops, I shook hands with that person out of habit. These are all important and I’m not downplaying them in the least but I worry that fear has sapped so much joy out of our hearts and out of our lives. And the more I was reading and watching the news the more fearful I became to the point I just couldn’t sleep at night. And when I read how many people are ringing lifeline and other self-help lines, including children, I know something is not right.
I guess the good that has come from this is that I have returned to reading my bible with my breakfast rather than watching the news with my breakfast. I have returned to praying more than reading the paper. And I can’t tell you how much more joyful my heart has become. Am I still fearful and concerned? You bet I am.
Does it drive every waking moment of my life – No.
Sometimes when I sit and reflect I worry but then I hear again Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel:
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.
And I think, wow. Jesus has my life in his hands no matter what happens. It doesn’t mean that nothing bad can ever happen to me but I’m reminded what Jesus said about fear in this life: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Again, it doesn’t mean that we live life irresponsibly but we need to be aware when the fears of this life are damaging our faith in God. When the fears of this life have taken control.
Even Paul said the same thing from prison, not knowing what the future held for him when he wrote to the Philippians – he said – to live is Christ – to die is gain.
Paul saw every day as a gift from God to share the love of Christ and the Gospel of Christ with others – and if in doing that he was to meet his death then he knew that eternal life in heaven awaited him. Every day he saw an opportunity for his suffering to produces perseverance and his perseverance to produce character and character to produce hope – a hope that would never disappoint him because that hope came from Jesus Christ. And that’s why he could, while languishing in prison, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in his heart, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ even while in prison.
Our Psalm directs us in the same direction: Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. Now we need to understand that the fear here is not about being afraid but about what directs and guides our lives – about where we place our fears. Is our fear created by the world going to guide our everyday life? If so, then what hope can the world give us? But if our fear is guided by God then it is not a fear that is afraid but one that actually is managed by God and our trust in him. As Psalm 23 says – even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall not fear because YOU are with me. The valley of the shadow of death doesn’t direct our journey because its fear cannot control us.
We pass through the valley of the shadow of death on our way to our heavenly home where we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And when all of our fears are handed over to God then we lack nothing – which again links to Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd – I lack nothing. I have realised that not watching the news or reading the newspaper won’t make the bad things go away. But what being aware of the news does is that it gives me an opportunity to include the world in my prayers and not let them create fear and doubt. As Paul says, the days are evil but let us be wise and understand what the will of the Lord is. And the will of the Lord is that we put our trust in him and seek his peace.
So go out into God’s creation – safely of course – and enjoy God’s gift to you. Enjoy time with your family that you live with or your friend in your social bubble. Whistle, hum or sing your favourite song, hymn or liturgy while you take your dog for a walk or just walk and take in God’s creation. Read your bibles and hear again God’s promises to you. When you watch the news use it as an opportunity to pray for the world, the church and all people according to their needs and don’t be afraid – because – Jesus is the bread of life that came down from heaven and whoever eats of him will live forever and nothing in the world can take that away from us.
