Overlapping Storms

NOTE: This article, while dated in the issues dealt with, contains principles that apply far beyond its original publication. Names and issues change – the truth does not.

Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; swords are in their lips, for, they say, “Who hears?” But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations. Because of his strength, I will watch for You, for God is my stronghold. Psalm 59:7-9

David, the author of this psalm, did not have social media – but he lived in King Saul’s palace, and he was quite familiar with running mouths. The word ‘belch’ points to an uncontrollable source that is gushing forth. King Saul wanted David, his son-in-law, dead because he was jealous of him. Imagine that – politicians acting petty! David heard the wagging tongues and could feel conspiratorial eyes on him as he made his way through the palace corridors. “God,” he cried out, “these people are too many and too strong for me and so I will watch for You. You are my Stronghold.” David went through some harrowing times, but the Lord was faithful to him and to the nation.

David heard a lot of belchers in his day, and their descendants are still with us. (Some might even argue that I have some belcher DNA in me!) Social media is an uncontrollable source of gushing out – some good, some bad, some funny, some sad, some illogical, and some downright stupid! Here is some belching from the past months –

If you think you need to wear a mask, you are an idiot.
If you think you do not need to wear a mask, you are an idiot.
If you identify with Black Lives Matter, you are an idiot.
If you do not identify with Black Lives Matter, you are an idiot.
If you vote for Joe Biden, you are not a Christian.
If you vote for Donald Trump, you are not a Christian.

The six statements above cover three areas of overlapping concern. We are in the midst of all three – the perfect storm. The movie, “The Perfect Storm,” based upon the book of the same title narrates the story of the fishing boat Andrea Gail as she is caught between two massive weather fronts and a hurricane – the perfect storm. (I am sure that the crew of the Andrea Gail did not think there was anything perfect about it.) Two massive weather fronts are battering the Church of Jesus. Both are presenting significant challenges to the Body of Christ.

The first weather front is COVID-19. There is tension in the Church over reopening and how to reopen. We have the pro-mask and anti-mask factions along with the pro-singing and anti-singing factions. And then there is the conspiracy belching: China did this / the Democrats did this / Dr. Fauci did this! / Big pharma did this / the Devil did this / and, of course, Trump did this. And there is anger about these things as people disagree with one another. Remember: the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Like David, in light of the depth of the anxiety over COVID-19 and the strength of the opinions about all these things – we need to watch for God and His strength. May all the offense and opinions be brought to the cross of Jesus and left there.

The second weather front is CHAOS-20. This is not just the racial strife sparked by the murder of George Floyd, but the social disruption ignited by it. I know of at least one church where significant disagreement with the leadership is causing people to leave that church. I see this boiling in other churches as the pastor and leadership paint their congregations with guilt and complicity in racism that they cannot, with intellectual honesty, agree with. I heard one white pastor say that if you are not angry enough to burn something down, then he does not see the image of God in you. Yikes! In one sentence, he has dehumanized those unlike him. He went on to say that God does not care about the property damage done in response to the murder of George Floyd – He is on the side of the oppressed. Tell that to the business owners who lost everything – that God does not care about their loss and suffering. Again, YIKES! He was arguing that his cause was so righteous that it did not have to justify any unrighteousness it did. This kind of incoherent thinking provides the foundation upon which to build a whole new class of oppressors. And so, history repeats itself, repeatedly.

Bearing down upon these two massive weather fronts is the hurricane of CHOICE-21 (who will be President in 2021). This in itself is enough to do some damage in the Church as the various factions demonize one another in their choice for President. Coupled with the forceful winds of CHOICE-21, the waves of COVID-19 and CHAOS-20 will churn, boil, and threaten to capsize and sink the whole lot of us. Some have already been thrown overboard.

Threatened with winds and waves about to capsize them and send them all to the bottom of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples cried out to Jesus. Because of its strength, they looked to their Stronghold. Jesus arose and spoke to the wind and the waves and said, “Silence, be still.” May we hear Him say to the wind and waves of culture and to the wind and waves in our own hearts, “Silence, be still.” In the movie “The Perfect Storm,” Andrea Gail never made it back to port. The perfect storm has met more than its match in the Perfect Stronghold. May you find shelter in the harbor of His mercy.

“Because of the strength of all these things, we watch for You. You are our Stronghold.”