Bible Reading: John 18:33-37
Dear Friends,
God’s power and presence in our lives doesn’t stop the suffering and problems we face. But God’s presence and
promise gives us hope and strength to deal with the tough times we face, just as the vision and promise of God gave ancient people strength to endure, and just as God’s promise and presence gave Jesus the strength to face evil and death. As we consider what it means to live in the kingdom of a crucified king, Jesus calls us also to boldly face the future with the confidence not that things will surely be better soon, but rather with the confidence that God’s presence and promise will give us strength to face the tough times and situations which may continue to plague us and the ones we love.
But how do we live into the reality of God’s reign in our lives when we have to deal with tough times and difficult situations? Well, it’s often easier said than done. But we can begin to live into the reality of God’s kingdom right now, even while enduring tough times, by:
A) sticking together and staying connected to one another – God’s people of all times and places have found God’s presence and strength in the community of believers God called them to be a part of, even and especially when the community was being persecuted.
B) holding on to the vision of God’s promises, instead of being consumed by the problems of the moment – this was the point of vision’s like Daniel’s – to lift people beyond the moment and remind them that the problems of the present moment were not the ultimate reality.
C) courageously acting on their faith, instead of ducking and running for cover – in their best times, ancient Christians realized that the best way to live into God’s reign was to make God’s reign present in the world, by showing Jesus’ love to others and by confessing with their words and deeds and resources that God’s reality mattered more than what they were going through at the moment. The same is true for us
Times are tough today, just as they’ve been tough for generations before us. But God didn’t abandon generations before us, and God won’t abandon us, either. And today, we remember that God’s kingdom isn’t just pie in the sky for tomorrow, but a present reality we can live in right now, even in the midst of tough times. And so Jesus calls us again today to live in the light of God’s reign right now by staying connected to God and to one another, and by courageously showing our faith in God’s presence and promise by the way we live and speak and serve.
Solomzi