“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” – James 4
A challenge in light of all that has happened in London and the UK in the past few days is simple; all the planning in the world doesn’t remove evil doings from our midst. As my wife and I travelled back from Essex on Monday night, after seeing so many disturbing images of the city of London being torn apart from the inside, I contemplated all that could happen… Buildings burning, destruction and chaos, police resource thinned like a disappointing slice of jam on toast; I was thinking of nothing but the unpredictability of the whole situation. I can’t live as if nothing bad will ever happen.
I certainly don’t plan for it. I don’t have plans for evil to pervade the streets. I plan for a good and successful life. Tonight I was going to do some preparation for Sunday and enjoy some time with my wife. But now as a church we have decided to get together and pray for the city. I had prepared a study for last night and we were going to break bread together, but the uncertainty of what could happen meant we cancelled the group, hopingto meet tonight and pray instead.
We are creatures of habit. Breaking news interrupting our evening of light entertainment of the TV programmes we love is a nuisance. Shops that close early are annoying. All the O2 stores within the M25 were closed yesterday which is one of the few signs that people are important than money. We love to know and plan and predict and expect. Jesus teaches to take each day one at a time.
It’s not wrong to plan, but in light of the events you can realise that taking each day on its own with grace sufficient for the 24 hour period we have, makes each day easier to deal with.
As a final thought, when Jesus turns up throughout the Old Testament, he says “do not be afraid” every time. It is more terrifying to see Jesus than the violence on the streets. Evil is a horrible thing,but Jesus is bigger, more powerful, and in control in ways we could never imagine.
“The government is upon his shoulder,
and his name is called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)
Toby
