Fresh Lens
It occurs to me that some familiar exhortations in our Bibles can take on a fresh meaning in the environment we’re living in now. You know, the one we’ve never experienced before now. The one that has us worried. The one we hate.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (Eph 4:31) Feeling bitter over the restrictions? Angry? Understandable—however not really acceptable in our Lord’s eyes. Paul’s inspired exhortation doesn’t read, “Let most bitterness be put away, but it’s OK if you’re bitter in a pandemic.” And how about clamor and slander and malice? We’re seeing plenty of all those things in the world around us. They have no place in our own minds and hearts. No exceptions, no extenuating circumstances. “Get rid of it!”, as some versions render it.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb 10:24-25) Clearly from the passage, it’s always been a “habit of some” to neglect meeting together. The constrained circumstances we’re in may make it even more of an issue for some. On the other hand, with so many ecclesias streaming their services, some are finding it easier to meet together than they use to—with someone, maybe not local. Let’s not allow ourselves to slip into being habitual non-meeters. If we have been in the non-meeting habit, let’s do better. There’s more opportunity than ever to get together. No, it’s not the same, not even close. But we have a powerful exhortation here, to “consider”—really think about—how we can stir one another up. How can we? We need creativity as well as commitment. In the pandemic, is there less need for love? For good works?
“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Php 4:11-13) Have we learned this? This isn’t some windbag’s boast. And it doesn’t mean there isn’t real need, real deprivation. What it means is that these things can be faced in faith. (And by the way, abundance has its own pitfalls, so we need to be careful not to be yearning for “plenty”—which would be covetousness, which would be idolatry. Who did Jesus say would have a tough time entering the kingdom?) Paul faced adversities that would demolish most of us, and he learned how to face them, to be content, with the Lord’s aid. Implications: (1) We can learn it too. (2) The Lord can strengthen us too, to be able to do anything and all things. A pandemic is just one more example.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Has it come as a surprise that we have some new tribulations in the world? Have they made us lose the peace Jesus gives us? Well it isn’t a peaceful time! But then it wasn’t when Jesus spoke his words, and wasn’t when John wrote his letter. As John says, peace comes from faith—that is, actually believing it’s true that Jesus has overcome the world, and that his victory means we also win out over the world, whatever it’s dishing out. Pandemic, whatever.
The bottom line here is that we always need to be looking for “what does this passage mean to me TODAY?” Not let familiarity rob the words of power, not forget that TODAY, any day, is a new day and today there might be a new perspective, something new to ponder, a new power to carry me forward for the day.
Love, Paul
If you have any feedback, please contact me at: paul.zilmer@gmail.com