Just A Little While Longer
Remember way back when the whole world was shut down by
this pandemic?
If you look at a map of the United States, I live in the
upper-left corner of the state of Washington.
For us in these parts things shut down on March 16, 2020. It’s hard to believe nearly 11 months has
gone by now. That infamous day feels
like both forever ago and yesterday at the same time.
I remember the schools shutting down and businesses
closing up shop. I remember sporting
events being pared back and then canceled altogether. I remember the run on toilet paper and hand
sanitizer in the stores. I remember
shifting gears and working from home and the days of the week blurring together. I remember how long those first couple months
felt.
If you were paying attention like I was paying attention
and you were listening in like I was listening in, you noticed a change in tone
during those first couple of months. The
raised banner went from We Can Do This
to I’m Done With This.
Folks got frustrated. Folks got angry. Folks had been pushed as far as they were
willing. They were on edge and edgy.
And if you’re still paying attention and listening in
maybe you’ve noticed that not much has changed for many of those folks. It is as though some folks have been changed by
their choice at a deeper level than they may have imagined or hoped or
chosen.
To be fair, the year didn’t improve much beyond those
early months. Just fuel on the fire…
On the big scale…
·
Summertime was riddled with racial tensions and
uprisings and riots with little clarity as to who was responsible.
·
Fall was blasted with the most heated political
campaigns and presidential election in recent history.
·
Conspiracy theories swirled and backwoods
extremist groups forced their way to center stage.
·
Then the virus that launched the whole mess
reared up again, continuing even now to threaten the minimal start-up we’ve
been able to enjoy in our communities.
On a more personal scale…
·
Friends lost their jobs.
·
Kids and teachers alike had to figure out how to
do school.
·
Weddings and other celebrations were postponed.
·
Loved ones died.
To some degree, we understand why frustration and anger
are still prevailing among many around us; many we know and love dearly. Even with a new president firmly seated and a
virus vaccine poking into communities, the suffering and grief and trials seem
only to be lengthening if not increasing in persistence and honestly – surely
you agree – it can be wearying.
Perhaps you’ll allow me to call us back to 1 Peter.
In verse six of chapter one Peter says:
“…now for a little while
you
may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”
Think about how old you are for a moment.
You don’t have to tell me, but I’ll tell you: On March 2 – just about a month away – I’ll
turn 45. Not that old, right? Times that by 365, add in a dozen leap year
days and I figure I’m roughly 16,430 days old.
Do you know how long this whole pandemic has been all up in my business
now? 325 days.
Longer than I had hoped?
Absolutely, yup.
But, so long that my faith ought to crumble
or the deep driving center of my
being ought to be shaken
or my testimony
ought to conflict with my public witness?
Nope, not really.
It seems like a tough sell right now; to
hold the line and steady our faith without aligning with those willing to think
less than once about setting aside faith and testimony to join the choir of
disdain, singing an imprecatory anthem toward governing officials or opposing
viewpoints, but at the end of it all, will it have been worth it?
Friends, this has indeed been a little while that we
have been maneuvering these days, and not without purpose in it all…higher than
flattening a curve or curbing the COVID or any other story we’re told to buy.
Peter says the whole of it is…
“…so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even through refined by
fire – may be proved
genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is
revealed.”
Imagine that a moment.
Your faith – worth more than gold, by the way! – and the testimony you
bear is being proved genuine and pure; refined even, with each passing day you
wait this season out.
That is awesome.
That means on the bake side of all this, no matter what and
when our new normal comes about, you will be able to life up your voice in praise
and glory and honor right up until the day Jesus is revealed. And all this with the grand goal in
view: The realization of the salvation
of our souls! The realization of
everything Peter opens this section with:
New Birth
A Living Hope
An Imperishable
Inheritance
Wow! All this is
going on while we wait through this little while for just a little while
more.
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