From the Pastor's Desk

What's Happening in this World?

My Friend's Story of Distress

I was speaking to an old friend of mine, recently, who lives in the U.S. He shared with me about how he felt so down lately. He mentioned that it was perhaps because of the effects of staying home under lockdown because of the coronavirus, but also because of the recent social unrest. He mentioned that the combination of all the debating, arguing, complaining, looting, and violence has really brought his spirits down and he just felt depressed.

My Own Story of Distress

Of course, there is no doubt that the recent events can cause people to feel all sorts of emotions. Even I, personally, felt the anger, frustration, and helplessness as I watched some of the videos. Not only that, but, recently, I went for a jog and found a guy with a mask lying on the ground. I was not sure what had happened to him. Was he a homeless person sleeping on the doorsteps of an apartment or was he an elderly person who had the coronavirus and collapsed? I was not sure and I did not know what to do, so I called the police to come and investigate. They came and found that the guy was just sleeping. Thank the Lord that the man was okay. The police scolded him a bit about how he was bothering the residence and how he should find some other place to rest. As the man stood up, I observed that he was a younger man who looked like he was on drugs or was mentally ill. In any case, I was glad that he seemed to be okay and it wasn't a case of the coronavirus. I thanked the police and continued my morning jog for about 50 meters and stopped at the traffic light and looked back to see how things were going, but the man that I saw earlier was standing right behind me. It surprised me, and I told him, "I was afraid that you were ill. I'm just glad that you're okay." But he kept staring at me. On top of all this, he had his hand in his bag. “Could there be a knife in there,” I wondered. I decided not to head straight home and, instead, turned left. But as soon as I had turned left, I saw in my peripheral vision that the man started running after me. I quickly ran away and back toward where the police car was which was about to leave the scene. I told them that the man was chasing me and they assured me that they would look into it. When I got home, I was filled with fear. I was living in Taiwan, where it is supposed to be safe! But that idea was shattered (at least emotionally).

My friend in the U.S. who had thought that he could continue his life as normal, working, resting, dating, eating, etc…his idea of normal was shattered with the recent happenings.

The Source of Distress

What is the connecting link? I believe that there are times when we get fooled into thinking that this life is “what it’s all about.” We study, we work, we take care of family, we do all these things with the hope that life would be better or easier for us in the near future. This was what my friend had in mind. For me, it was the idea that Taiwan is safe and that I can live a comfortable, worry-free life here. Even our prayers can be based on this assumption (or lie) that this world is supposed to get better and better…at least for me, right? And when things do not go the way we plan or the way we had hoped, we find ourselves anxious, saddened, disappointed, disillusioned, and/or doubting God. Perhaps the reason is that we have put our hope in the idea that this is our home and this home is where we can build a comfortable, satisfying life. In other words, this world is where I can find true rest, a Sabbath rest. In essence, this way of thinking shows that we have placed our hope in something else rather than in God, and have concluded that we can find a comfortable, satisfying life without Jesus. It is like saying, "I do not need you, Jesus, because I have this life." 

Hebrews 4:8-11 says, "For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience." 

Our Remembrance and Action in Distress

Brothers and sisters of FPC, we may be in Taiwan and the issues on the news may seem distant to some of us, but this an opportunity for all of us to reflect on what God has already told us in His word:

1) This world is a sinful, fallen world. These recent happenings are actually not unprecedented. Disease, racial conflict, and violence have always existed. These events do not have to catch us off-guard. Rather, we can be ready for such events.

2) When we find ourselves disappointed or disillusioned, it is an opportunity to reexamine what is going on in our own hearts. Have I replaced my hope in God with a hope in something else? Have I determined in my heart to try to find my Sabbath rest on this earth? Do I expect heaven to exist on earth before the Lord returns?

3) It is also an opportunity for us to turn back to the Lord and declare, "Jesus, you are my only hope! In you only can I find the rest, the life that I'm looking for."

4) Finally, it is an opportunity for Christians to respond with truth and love because of what Jesus has accomplished in us. It is an opportunity to share God's truth that the world is a fallen place, but hope does exist in the person of Jesus Christ. It is an opportunity to stand up for life, for justice, and for peace, because this is what Jesus did for us. He gave up his life so that we could live. He gave up his life so that there would be justice for the crimes we committed. He gave up his life, so that there would be peace between God and man for everyone that believes.

(Extra)

Hear from our very own Kevin Fulton on the recent social unrest in the U.S.: http://tiny.cc/178bqz

Comical videos about how bad things have become (warning: brief vulgar language):
https://youtu.be/Ms7capx4Cb8
https://youtu.be/xdyDpP2s-og