Never has truer a word been spoken back to me this week.
As I reflected on the last few weeks, yes it has only been a few weeks, I was a little overwhelmed by the difficulties so many of us are facing. Day by day our first world security blankets are being stripped away from us and our real selves, our real faith (the good, the bad and the ugly!) is being revealed.
I have had so many really difficult conversations with so many in our community revealing some of our most intense fears: lost jobs, family members in need, family members passing away, houses being lost, not being able to provide for our family, the list could go on. For many, the idea of battling the Learn@Home monster doesn’t even make the ‘top ten things to overcome’ list at the moment!
Australian journalist, author and cancer survivor, Julia Baird, in her book, Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark, writes that no matter how bad it is we must be aware of the difficult and the “brutal” in our world, we must not dismiss it or hide from it. She encourages us to not “lose the faith that ultimately [we] will prevail.” She urges us to “work out what makes [us] strong and tap into that” (https://bit.ly/2XmJrDY).
What wonderful advice, right?
Now excuse me while I get a little preachy, but it is Easter, and we are a Christian School, and I do love Jesus, so I will take a few liberties in this Tidings. Please read on and ask questions if you have them…
For many of us today we have grown up in a world that tells us to ‘look within for the strength to carry on’, or ‘you can do anything if you just put your mind to it and believe in yourself’. How about, ‘just persevere, you are powerful’, and this one - ‘it’s the Aussie way to not give up’.
Can I be so daring as to say that all this is great for a time, but then there comes a moment where we realise, actually, there is nothing we can do. Actually, this is bigger than us and we won’t/can’t win this battle.
What do we do in this moment? What do we do when we honestly interrogate ourselves; when we are truly faced by the frailness of our humanity? What do we do when all our security blankets are exposed as imperfect, unable and incomplete? What do we do now?
There is a certain knee bending, earth shattering, life changing humility that accompanies such a realisation. This is okay though, normal even, to find ourselves in situations where we cannot; where we are not enough; where the world overwhelms us. It is in these moments that we find absolute truth; what really matters, what really sustains us.
I have realised that these worldly sayings that teach me to rely on myself, that I am enough are a degree away from the truth and can lead us to a place of brokenness, uncertainty and exasperation as we rely on ourselves.
The truth is that we are amazing. We can do amazing things. We are strong and intelligent and can overcome. But. But. We have been created this way. To truly tap into all that we have and can do, we first need to acknowledge that we are broken, incomplete and frail and to ask for the help from the One through whom we can do all this.
Jesus did hard things. My goodness, he did the hardest thing of all – he left his place of comfort and security in heaven, came to earth and endured everything that humans threw at him. Including the most ridiculous death on a cross. All for them. All for us.
I believe that God did what Baird is suggesting we do. God looked at the difficult and brutal, the broken and the frail in this world and found a way to fix it. The whole Christian story is a story of a God who seeks to be with man because this is the best way for us to live. When he is with us, we can do everything He wants us to be able to do. That is it. It is actually not about us, nor is it all about using Him to give us strength. It is about us knowing God and the beauty, power and purpose that comes from this relationship. Simple, and complicated, all at once, right?
I am convinced that at this time in our history our security blankets are being stripped away and this has implications for us all. We are learning to see what we truly believe in. Do we actually believe in ourselves, or in God? Is our peace and security actually in our first world privileges; our jobs, our good health system, our peaceful times, our family’s strength, our education system (I had to put that one in!)? You get the point.
In such a time as this, it is more clear than ever that I need a good dose of humility. I cannot provide everything I need if I look within myself for strength. I get scared, I get worried, there are things I cannot control. I need to find my security; my peace and my hope not in my personal awesomeness, but in my brokenness, in my need for Jesus. When all else is stripped away, He is all that remains.
Jesus is the bedrock I can build my life on. He is the shelter I can rest under. He is the one who always looks out for me and those I love so I can find peace.
I encourage us all this Easter, go and talk to Jesus. It is safe. It is peaceful. It is real. It is hopeful. It is the truth and security we all need at the moment.
In this issue of Tidings to help you connect with Jesus and a local church in this time, I have asked local pastors and churches to provide us with a little message and links to their communities should you be interested in making contact with them. We are in a wonderful position in Ballina; we have many wonderful churches, pastors and church families. No matter where you are in your journey of faith, should you want to know more about Jesus and the Christian faith I encourage you to make contact with them or any staff member at RCC. We all would be happy to help.
Bless you this Easter break.
Jonno
For more go to https://www.biblegateway.com/ and have a read of John 17 – 21, Psalm 121 and Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12.
