Monday, December 17, 2012

This World

"This world has nothing for me and this world has everything."  - Caedmon's Call

The quote above is from my favorite song by Caedmon's Call. This is a song that probably has the highest "number of times played" digit next to it in my iTunes library. It's a song I go to when I need to be grounded, and it's also a song I go to when I need to be picked up. 

This world is really quite something. We live on this spinny watery globe thing that floats in the middle of *nothing* next to a huge blazing ball of fire. There are about 7 billion people on this globe thingy. Each of these 7 billion people are unique, as are the billions of people that have lived and died before them. In this world there are some very, very beautiful things. Things so beautiful they will take your breath away. We have sunsets and oceans, wildlife and mountains, rain forests and deserts. We have children and family, laughter and cuddles, ice cream and chocolate. But for everything great and wonderful this world has to offer, in reality this world is broken. In reality this world has nothing. 

I am a Christian who believes that the world was created by a Creator. When God created this earth, he called it good. Not good in the sense of the fake "good" we say in response to passers by who ask us how we are doing. Good in the sense that God was pleased with all that he saw. Good in the sense that this world was perfect. 

Now, no matter what your beliefs are, you can't deny that here in the year 2012 this world is not perfect. There are thefts. There are rapes. There are planes flown into buildings. There are sick and confused people that take guns into schools and kill our babies. And as it seems to us, all we can do is sit back and wonder why. 

I would like to encourage you. There's more that we can do. I am not going to sit here and type out my political opinions on health care, marriage, abortion, war, or finances. Because in reality, my opinion about those things really isn't going to change anything. I could talk all day about what I believe and what I think, but that's not going to change a thing. Instead I want to encourage, mainly my fellow brothers and sisters and Christ, but really everyone, to step up. Step up where you are needed. Step up and find out where you are needed. Be the change you want to see in the world. 

In the past days as our nation has dealt with the tragedy of the shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, there have been many thoughts posted on social media and talked about in our workplaces and churches. There have been a few that have crossed my path that really hit home. The first is an article entitled "I am Adam Lanza's Mother". This article is a very eye-opening look at what a mother has to endure with a child like Adam Lanza. All of these mothers... and fathers... don't need judgement, they need help. They need something else too...

I do have a very strong opinion on what this world needs. It's not political for me. In fact, as far as politics go I've removed myself pretty far from getting wrapped up in that whole mess. For me it's much more about this personal relationship I have with God. I have many thoughts and convictions about what this world is strongly lacking (and, by the way, I don't think any law or president will fix what is so incredibly broken) and it was stated best by Anne Graham-Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, when she was interviewed after the 9/11 attack on our country. When asked how God could let something like that happen she answered:

 "I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it."


Well said, Anne. 



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