Now people are afraid of the Chinese. They are outdoing the U.S. in business, bailing out our banks. And pretty soon all of the millions of newly-able consumers of South Asia will be driving around some tiny car and polluting everything to high heaven! It scares people.
But the poor Chinese! They had a record snowfall in January which meant that everyone trying to get home for the New Year festivities (around February 7) was messed up. Not least of the problems was the fact that government-controlled electricity prices created a disincentive for electricity producers to bear the cost of rising coal prices, so they just stopped producing, contributing to the cause of the power outage in Guangzhou that stranded hundreds of thousands factory workers who were trying to get back home to spend what little holiday they got. To top it all off, there is a pork shortage (60+% of Chinese protein comes from pork, and it is integral to what mom makes for New Years)! The government had to open up the pork reserve (yes, they store frozen pork in case of emergency) to keep from having another Tiananmen Square episode.
It’s always something. The Chinese are scared, too. It is not like things are working great over there. There is always something to be afraid of.
Lately, I seem to have talked to a lot of people who are feeling a lot of fear. I think the climate of our country since 9/11 has contributed a huge amount to our sense of being threatened by unknown forces. Maybe the U.S. is just catching up a little with what the rest of the world has been facing all along. Regardless, we’re feeling it.
There are political, economic and relational things that can be done to add to our sense of safety. But let’s be Christians about it. We should know that all those solutions are not enough. And we already know that the best we could hope for has already been given as a gift.
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”
Luke 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Maybe if we all sat down for 30 seconds upon reading those truths again and let God tell us whether he really means it or not, we could cause a fear-reduction in the climate. Give it a try and see if it does anything for you. Ask Him. “Do you love me or not? Are we OK?” And make sure to ask, “Am I worth something to you? Do you really mean it when it says you look after me?” When I am most afraid, it is usually helpful to get my feet replanted in Jesus before something else tries to rip the rug out from under me. It’s always something.
I take comfort in what you’re saying. I’m far too afraid, and far to worried. I’m afraid of receiving negative judgment from others. If no one saw what I did, I bet I’d be a lot less stressed out. My fear is that people will see what I’m doing (largely because I share it) and judge me as a result. But, in the end, God loves me. He cares for the sparrows; that gives me some needed perspective.
It’s been transformative for me to let my sense of worth come from Jesus, good call.