What Do We See?

It was a Tuesday morning. Eric was off to school and Ronda was already at work. I had just dropped Ryan off at day care and returned to the apartment to get ready for class. When I turned on the TV, I saw the first tower burning. No one really knew what was happening at that moment. When another plane hit the second tower, it became horrifically clear that America was under attack. Before long it was reported that a third plane had hit the pentagon and that a plane had been taken down by heroic passengers to prevent a fourth attack.

For over two hours I watched as these events unfolded and heard dozens of confused journalists and civic leaders trying to get a handle on the moment. Those narrating the moment were obviously overwhelmed with fear, grief, and uncertainty.

When I arrived at class later that morning all conversations were focused on the unfolding tragedy; however, the tone was entirely different. Fear had been overcome by conviction; grief, with prayer, and uncertainty with the assurance that Jesus was still on His throne. While acknowledging the tragedy, they saw the need and the opportunity to exalt Christ. Over the following weeks, months and years tens of thousands of Christians would journey to New York to minister to that city in the name of Jesus.

Today, we are confronted with another unprecedented moment in the history of our country. We are facing global pandemic that has taken the lives of 130,000 in this country and over 500,000 worldwide. In addition, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked protests for racial justice across the country; a number of which have turned violent.

The question for Christians is, “How do we see this moment?” Do we see it as a time for fear, grief, and uncertainty or do we see it as a time to glorify God? Do we see this as a time to overcome fear with the conviction of faith; a time to ease grief with prayer and demonstrate the assurance that even now, Christ reigns?

How we see the moment determines how we respond to it. If we see it with fear, we will likely respond with anger. If we see it with faith, we will see the opportunity to proclaim our Savior and promote His kingdom. We will see it as a time to overcome hate with love. We will see it as a time to show the world that Jesus really is the way, the truth, and the life. 

This is truly a moment for Christians to engage this world with the Gospel of Christ. Will we see it before it is too late?

In His Service,