The hope of resting well during this downtime.....and a unique Easter meditation

​Hello, friends......

Recently, a friend's mother passed. She was 97 & still sharp as a tack. Jim & his sister played a video of her reciting the 91st Psalm from memory at her funeral, which I viewed online. It was almost prophetic as it was just what everyone needed at this time. The virus was just beginning to be seen as an imminent threat.  She would've been overjoyed to know that so many were encouraged by it. 

We speculate about God's purpose in allowing (or possibly actively unleashing?) Corona. For starters, this isn't the first pandemic. Tragedies of monolithic proportions have been w/us since Eden's banishment. That we've lived in this sustained bubble of 1st World stability should shock us more than this "new normal". This kind of thing likely typifies human history more than we realize. 

I've been thinking about how God might be speaking in this. After some conversations, I think it's more complex than the "forced Sabbath" I suggested last time. Could it simultaneously be judgment?.....Re: the Church, I see it as somewhat of an extended (discomforting) Sabbath. I'm relating this to the exilic yrs in Babylon. It was chastisement time for Israel as they had ignored the Sabbath years (Lev. 25:4, Lev. 26:34-36).....for overworking the fields. Is God telling the Church that we've been too materialistic? That we put work & success ahead of worship? That some overwork?

Despite the horrors of the virus, there are some bright spots which are accompanying this "Sabbath".......if that's what it is. Sabbaths were/are to be pleasant & these are some positive effects that I'm seeing in this storm: 1) We're forced to trust in God's goodness & adequate provision....It took faith for the agrarian children of Israel to suddenly stop for Shabbat, esp. during certain seasons. (Ex. 20:8-10) This was designed to yield joy. Hopefully, a "better vision for God's provision" is emerging......2) In this season, we should get to know family & friends better. 3) It should be a time to unify the Church across denominational lines. 4) This will stretch the faith of poor Christians to rely on Him more & stretch the faith of wealthy Christians toward increased generosity.  5) It will make us more grateful......which will make us more frugal. 6) We are hopefully learning that our self-worth doesn't come from careers or job performance. 7) Learning to be patient......Personally, I had lots of plans that have now been trashed. 8) I spoke with Mo in the "I country" today. Despite the many deaths there, he was grateful. God's creation, which usually groans, has been given a brief reprieve. For the first time in his life, the air in Mo's city (the capitol) isn't smoggy & he can see for miles. He can breathe more easily & the birds seem to be chirping more.........In summary, this downtime is forcing us to do everything the Sabbath was designed to do. BTW, Mo had a Bible study w/Michael over Skype today. Mo asked him if he could help him find a Church in the underground network. I'm so excited to have been part of his coming to know Jesus!

I'm not persuaded toward a specific eschatological view, but this really could be the "beginning of sorrows". (Matt. 24:8) This could be chastisement for some in the Church but concurrently judgment for the world. Whatever the doctrinally correct end times scenario, my God will provide. 

I've mentioned before about a woman in "the T country" w/whom I speak periodically over WhatsApp. She's of Greek & Armenian heritage, yet came out of "that other Abrahamic religion", which is odd. She's very depressed. Her face is expressionless even when I've prayed w/her a couple times. She lives w/her parents, who reject her because of her faith. She knows no other Christians in her area & the nearest Church is far. So, oddly, because of the virus, I can now relate to her forced solitude on some level. I finally convinced her to listen to Steven Davey on the Bible Broadcasting Network. She liked the sermons!........Then, I got even more pumped when someone gave me the name of a couple who are field workers there. W/the woman's permission, I gave her number to them. The husband is a native T believer. They agreed ahead of time that they'd contact her. According to him, there are a mere 8,000 T believers (out of a total of about 84 million) in his country. There are many "I" & "A" refugee believers, though. 

I wanted to close by saying something about Easter....It is ultimately about our resting & was another kind of rest for Jesus (Hebrews 1:3)......When the Qesis of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was still in STL, I sometimes attended their Church for Orthodox Christmas/Easter services. (I'm sure some of the parishioners thought, "Looks like another one of those guys who only comes on Christmas & Easter! Hah!!!!)   I've always appreciated the unique perspectives they had. The Qesis translated the line from a traditional Easter hymn for me. The gist of it was something like this......"The serpent was cursed & forced to crawl on his belly & eat dust after he tempted our first parents. Don't forget that we are mortals & will leave behind our dust. A resurrection to Glory will ensure that the serpent will not eat your dust." 

For resting well and the nations, 

......Just another witness to His Glory.