The internet is an amazing place.
At the press of a button and just a few clicks, images from our family and friends, from our church and our community, from our nation and the entire world, flood in.
Happy images of babies and grandmas, of puppies and cows, of rich food and lovely sunsets.
Those have not been the images on display this week.
War.
Unprovoked war.
Fear.
Death.
We see innocent people who, just a two weeks ago, were like us—enjoying their families, watching sunsets, playing with their pets—who now stand in line for days to get a train out of the country, stand among the destruction, sleep in subways. Freedom is a fragile thing. So is life.
This could be us.
We all feel this as we watch the world that the Ukrainians knew and loved be destroyed—as though it were made of Tinker Toys. All gone.
What do we do in times like this? How do we cope?
Thankfully, in the midst of all of this ugliness, moments of beauty do break through. This week, I have found my grounding in quotes from the faithful, images of people choosing life and goodness, and Scripture.
When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy when we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus. Corrie Ten Boom
Few people have lived in such a way as to speak those words with authority and power. Corrie Ten Boom did. During the Holocaust, she and her family helped many Jews escape the Nazis by hiding the Jews in their home. Corrie and her family were betrayed by neighbors and were sent to the concentration camps. Corrie was the only one of her family who survived. Following the war, she became a “Tramp for the Lord,” travelling the world, sharing the hope, forgiveness, love, and salvation of Jesus Christ.
Corrie knew first hand what it was like to be completely powerless—and yet, even in the camps, she found great joy by holding on to Jesus. Corrie recounted that before her sister, Betsie, died in the camp, she told Corrie, “There is not pit so deep that He (God) is not deeper.”
We get through these times by leaning into Jesus and His goodness even more.
While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes, there is a God who has not surrendered His authority. A.W. Tozer
We find comfort in the fact that when things seem completely out of control, they are not. God is still in control. Things might not seem “controlled,” but God always exerts His might in the end. And the final end of this world, though completely chaotic and utterly terrifying, will bring with it the New Earth—where there are no more tears and no more sadness. No more. God is in control.
These are two quotes I have leaned on this week.
Today, as I was watching the horror of this war, I saw a news story about a young woman who, in spite of the fear and grief around her, took time to play the piano in the town square of Lviv Ukraine. She played to those who had spent days fleeing their homes, to crying children, to senior citizens who might never return home. And, what did she play? “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Not a religious song, but a song that is poignant and beautiful—about longing and hope. The longing and hope everyone around her was sharing.
God’s Power.
God’s Authority.
Our trust in Him.
Our caring for those around us—sharing beauty—even in times of destruction and grief. This is how we endure these times.
I’ll conclude with the Scripture, the foundation of our hope:
I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little,” (Philippians 4:12, Good News Bible).
Paul is the author of this verse. He was not theorizing—he was speaking from personal hardships. He had endured incredibly pain and suffering in His service to Christ – five floggings, three beatings, a stoning, three shipwrecks, and more. And through all of this, he had discovered the secret to joy no matter the circumstances. Daily, he made a purposeful decision to find his joy in God—no matter what material blessings he did or did not have. He made the deliberate choice to focus his attention on good and on God. In this way, his joy could not be destroyed.
I’ll end with one last quote—this one anonymous:
Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change.
Prayer is a conversation you have with God about things He can change.
We put our faith and hope in God. We find joy in His presence.
Then, we share this joy with a weary, needy world.