Peace in an Age of Outrage
Originally sent August 2, 2024
Everyday there seems to be a new issue over which we must be outraged. Both politicians and preachers can push us into making everything urgent or even apocalyptic. One side warns us that the world is heading toward disaster because of the climate crisis while the other side claims our country will be destroyed by invading illegal immigrants. We are bombarded with messages of immanent doom and the only response is anger, anxiety, and panic. Scripture speaks a better word.
But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne.
He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.
The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalm 9:7-10
What I find so striking is the beautiful description of God’s character in the midst of chaos. The Psalms were the hymnal that Jesus grew up singing. He grew up in poverty during a time when Israel was occupied by a foreign army. It was an age of outrage, violence, and fear. Imagine what it felt like for Jesus to rest in these big truths: God is with me. He is fair and just. God loves me and watches over me. He will not abandon me in my time of need. Jesus’ connection to God the Father gave him the ability to live a life of sacrificial love. Could our connection to God the Father do the same for us?
Getting clarity on God’s character will always lead us toward a quiet confidence. Yes, we can work for change and vote our convictions, but ultimately our trust is in the Lord. Let’s practice less doom-scrolling and instead more scripture and solitude as we move toward November.
Read the Psalm above again and ask yourself…
What would it look like for me to be a person of hope and confidence in the midst of the chaos?
How might God want to meet me in the midst of my own panic and pain?
