It’s time

Here we are again.

Another Friday morning when I want to write about something else, ANYTHING else, other than what we’re all thinking about, what’s going on in the world. But as several of you told me after the Pulse shootings, “It would be weird if you didn’t write about it.”

I tried to argue that there was nothing left to say, no shortage of blog posts, media coverage, social media commentary. And that’s how I feel now.

And yet, it’d be weird to not write about it.

By ‘it,’ I mean Charlottesville, Charleston, Barcelona, Venezuela, North Korea, and yes, Orlando, San Bernardino, Paris, Brussels, Syria. Hell, let’s go all the way back to New York City, September 11, 2001.

By ‘it,’ I mean sex trafficking, homelessness, poverty, terrorism, abortion, racism, unemployment, dictatorships, corruption.

I mean all of it. I know there were issues and cities I left out. Forgive me, it’s early in the morning and I think the last tiny remnant of sanity in my brain is trying hard to block it all out.

But Jesus wouldn’t look away. Jesus ISN’T looking away. So I don’t get to either.

So what’s left to say?

Don’t give up.

(In case anybody’s wondering, I’m preaching to myself here. Feel free to eavesdrop.)

Most of us live in freakin’ Disney World. I mean, come on, y’all. We got it pretty good. Even living half a mile from an ISIS attack on the homosexual community at Pulse here in Orlando, I don’t spend the majority of my days in fear, confusion, wondering where I’m going to get my next meal, etc.

So what DO I deal with?

First-world problems, of course. And survivor’s guilt. Because I’m white. Because I’m rich (compared to the rest of the world). Because I’m safe.

So what do we do? It feels too big. It’s too much. It’s overwhelming. Paralyzing. So we sit on our couches absorbing more bad news, disasters, hatred and vitriol from our TVs, laptops, tablets and phones, losing more and more relationships and simultaneously, more and more hope.

Here’s my suggestion:

Turn it off.

Turn off all the devices that fill us with too much information.

I mean, turn them on long enough to learn what’s going on. We have to work harder than we used to. We used to be able to count on journalists to give us just the facts and leave them with us to form our own thoughts and opinions about them. Now we are served facts, sometimes only partial stories with a heaping dollop of opinions and editorializing. Not only are we told what’s going on, we’re told what we’re supposed to THINK about it.

No thanks.

So we have to become investigative journalists ourselves. Work hard to strip away all the propaganda and get down to the bare bullet points of the story.

Then turn it off. Before the comments section suffocates you with vitriol and finger pointing. Take the facts of the case, grab whatever is left of your heart, hope and sanity, and run. Run while you still can, before you get bogged down with cynicism and bitterness.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9

We don’t get to bail. We don’t get to quit. We don’t get to look away.

We get to dust off our Bibles, pull your this-little-light-of-mine out from under that bushel and move into the darkness.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Philippians 2:14-16

We must turn off our devices and turn on our souls. Quit typing and start TALKING. You know, with sound, voice inflection, body language.

(I realize that I’m typing now so this probably sounds hypocritical. Look, God is making me do this. I don’t want to write about this stuff. I just want to write funny stories about my kids or inspiring stories about friends and talk about how God used them to teach me something new. But make no mistake, I know this blog post doesn’t count. I have to do other stuff too.)

As a recovering people-pleaser, I don’t like difficult conversations, debate or sparring. Jeremiah 6:14 is for me:

They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.

I don’t get to play ‘peace’ anymore, the way I used to play ‘house’ as a kid. A scene from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers resonates deeply with me today. The enemy is moving in and King Theoden is unwilling “to risk open war.” Aragorn answers him soberly, “Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not.”

I have a necklace I wear. It’s a Giving Keys necklace. On it is printed one word: FEARLESS. I don’t wear it where others can see it. When I do wear it, when I need to wear it, I wear it under my shirt where I can feel it.

I am nothing close to fearless and that necklace does not make me fearless. But it reminds me of the One who is, the One who resides under my skin where I can feel Him, when I pay attention. And because He is fearless, I can do fearless things. And I need to.

It’s time.

God is calling us to the front lines. There are multiple battles going on and as individuals, we can only fight one at a time. But that’s why He created so many of us. This war has many battles and needs many soldiers.

Which battle are you called to fight?

While we can fight more than one at a time, we must guard against burning out. Be wise with our resources and our energy. God has put burning issues in each of our hearts. Don’t feel compelled to fight every battle you stumble upon, like I do. (Dang it, I mean well. But I’m only human.)

I must listen. My God who knows and sees all things, who created me just so, knows which battles I was created for. And while they all tug at my bleeding heart, I must ration my efforts. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

But I do know this: training time is over. It is time to run the races set before us.

Put down your phone, do a couple of quick stretches and let’s get on with it.

And let’s end with some good news straight from the mouth of Jesus that still beats all the bad news we are surrounded by:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33