In the Midst of Life's Storms

I'm not sure, but I believe I saw the sunshine earlier this afternoon. After the last week of rain, what a welcome sight! It was so bad yesterday as I was eating lunch with a colleague, that we could not leave the restaurant because of the continuing downpour. We waited and waited for it to stop or at least ease a bit, but it did not, leaving us with only one alternative...reluctantly, we ordered and split a warm chocolate chip cookie sundae. We felt guilty sitting in the booth so long after we had finished our meal, so dessert seemed the only alternative. It's amazing what we justify in the midst of life's storms.

Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the horrific events of 9/11. Everywhere one has turned this week, there has been some remembrance of that dark day. That day of tragedy has spawned two wars, new governmental agencies, changes to security procedures from the airport to the borders of our nation, altered the way we treat prisoners in the context of war, and made us wary of persons "not like us" of whom we are taught to be suspicious. These reactions are understandable in the context of fear and shock, and many would argue that they are common sense reactions to an act of war. History will judge the appropriate nature of our nation's response to 9/11, but how will you and I continue to live in this present world of violence, hatred, and political stalemate? How will we justify our actions in the midst of life's storms?

The Sunday after 9/11, I preached from the thirty-seventh Psalm, focusing on the thirty-seventh verse..."there is a future for the man of peace." Retaliation is often the first thought in the aftermath of aggression...an understandable response to what is seen as cruel and unjust. What is more often unusual, however, is the response Holy Scripture calls us to in the aftermath of injustice. Again, the Psalmist writes in Psalm 37:7-8, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil." This isn't a pathway to inaction or complacency...quite the contrary, it is a call to faith and trust beyond the obvious, beyond the easy response. Again, verses 3-5 of this Psalm say, "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord..." Trust, dwell, delight, commit...these are words of attitude and action that are intentional responses by faith in the living God. Violence, retribution, angry words and judgmental actions will always be a part of the human response to violent aggression. In such a world, however, there is a future for the man or woman of peace...a place where God works within the human heart to give evidence of the best of what God created us to be.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. These are great words for all of us to hear in these challenging days.

Jim Abernathy