“These are the days.” That is what the sign in our living room says. My wife bought it in 2020 before COVID-19 changed the world around us.
And, it wasn’t halfway into the year before my wife and I agreed that “These are the days” is not a hopeful statement, at least one that we can claim right now.
We’ve seen a lot happen since 2020 that has conditioned us not to be surprised by anything.
Murder hornets from Asia threaten crops? Sure, why not. Two hurricanes making landfall on the same day? Par for the course. Peace in the Middle East? Sounds about right. Political unrest… New and threatening diseases… War… The past couple of years have shown me that anything is possible… probably something wrong… but it’s still possible.
However, one of the things that I thought was impossible that was untouchable - was the church.
There has been a divide in our society. I believe it would be safe to say that most Americans, or in my case, West Texans feel like our world is divided as they’ve never seen before.
Our society has been fractured and caused everyday people to feel polarized, conditioning us to think the worst of those who oppose their beliefs.
The news declares a chaotic world based on international and domestic unrest.
Politics has caused the separation between the intellectual elite and the everyday person. And societal tension has been heightened as mass groups have taken to the streets in protest.
But these divisions have happened throughout history. They aren’t new to our society.
Each of those descriptions listed above can easily be subscribed to previous generations: Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I and II, The Great Depression, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, JFK assassination, Desert Storm, Y2K, The Great Recession, and so on.
As Christians, we shouldn’t be surprised by the secular divide. Yet, each time, we seem overwhelmed by the fact that the world around us erupts into chaos. It’s as if we are surprised that the world is sinful.
I found a long time ago not to be surprised by the world’s sin. Sin is ugly, messy, and dark.
It has completely ruined the fabric of society since the fall of Adam. So to expect anything other than a mess from a world deeply affected by man’s sin is non-sense and foolish.
What I thought was impossible and untouchable was the church. I felt that the church was the steadfast movement that kept the world from falling apart throughout history.
I thought the church was neutral in the non-sensical debates, sincere in its compassion, and rooted in truth.
When chaos reigned, the church remained steady in the face of upheaval.
The church is shown as a light brighter than ever when darkness is overshadowing.
When evil gained ground, the church fought back for its utter destruction.
The flaw in my thinking was that the church - the institution was untouchable.
At the center of chaos and upheaval, there stood the organization called the church that sought peace.
That which would pull our society back from destructive ideas and beliefs would be the church, the institution of believers led by spiritual leaders with a platform spanning thousands of congregants.
“No matter what the world threw our way, we would be okay because of the church.” The church is indeed untouchable, but my definition of the church has changed.
I’ve grown close to other pastors in the area from other denominations because their ministries are valuable to the Kingdom of God and me.
The hope they share in our community is the same as the hope that resonates in me. And, though our theologies may differ, our gospel is the same, Jesus!
I believe that our community needs the church more than ever. But not the institutions. It requires the people.
It needs the competition to cease and the walls to be broken down. Everyone has a voice, and everyone matters. But we’re just not there yet.
Some of us are still holding onto the institution of the church, refusing to change or allow anyone in that may be different.
Unfortunately, I believe that those people will wake up one day and wonder why the church left them.
And I hope that they will hear God say, I’ve moved on to “neighboring villages so that I may preach there, too. This is why I have come” (Mark 1: 38, HCSB).
And then they would join in with the church again.
I don’t necessarily have a solution for the people asking, “So, what do we do to be this church you talk about?”
But, I have come to understand that the best posture in moments like these is to be available.
Whether God calls us to do something, say something, move something, or be something, be available. Be available any day God calls us to something.
And, we will only know if God is calling us to something if we are close to him.
If we do not spend time deepening our relationship with Christ, we will lack hearing.
If we do not spend time in prayer, pleading with God for his will here on earth, then we will lack seeing.
And, if we do not spend time in community with one another, spurring one another to good work in Jesus, then we lack growing.
The church will come through. It will hold the world together in times of turmoil and upheaval.
When all seem hopeless and lost, the church will be the light to a lost and dying world. The church is vital to creation. The church holds the hope of Christ. But we will be surprised who is a part of that church and who is not.
My prayer for our community is to be the church. To hold onto hope in Jesus.
I pray for other church congregations in town that God would grow them significantly to benefit his kingdom. Even more than the church I pastor. That He would raise up other pastors and leaders who can influence our community for the good of the gospel in ways that I can’t.
I pray that our best days are ahead of us. And that God shows the world around us what the church indeed can be.
Let’s be the church! Let’s do this together no matter what denomination you attend or who your pastor is. The church needs you! The church is you!
And, these are the days!