Comfort in Troubled Times

It seems that I cannot turn on the news without hearing about violence.

This is especially true about gun violence.

Just two weeks ago, a mass shooting took place in the state in which I live.

Within 24 hours, another mass shooting took place in a different part of the country.

On Wednesday, in another state, six police officers were wounded while serving a warrant.

That same evening, I received word that shots had been fired in the neighborhood where I live.

Frankly, this kind of news is enough to frighten anybody.

Fortunately, God provides words of comfort in troubled times.

Perhaps the most comforting of all can be found in the 23^rd Psalm.

Psalm 23:4 (NET) - Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me.

There are others.

John 16:33 (NET) - I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.

Christ tells us that in the world we will have trouble and suffering.

But He also tells us to take courage for He has conquered the world.

What about those who have lost loved ones to violence?

Christ provides these words of comfort in the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5:4 (NET) - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Comfort after the fact is all well and good, but what about the here and now?

John 14:27 (NET) - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.

It is a comfort to know that we can rely on the kind of peace that only Jesus can give.

Finally, there are words from an old hymn that can also ease our minds in these troubled times.

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches me

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 23, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 6, 2019

Dual Roles

I recently watched two old programs that had something in common.

In each there was an actor or actress who played two parts.

In the first there was an actress who portrayed both the head of a corporation as well as the woman trying to take it away from her.

In the second, an actor portrayed both a ruthless dictator and a man trying to put an end to his regime.

The use of a single actor for dual roles was quite effective in each case.

This put me in mind of one of my favorite Christian allegories written in the 1600’s by John Amos Comenius.

It is entitled The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart.

One of the devices employed by Comenius in his work was the use of masks.

In his book, people go about in public wearing masks.

They try to pass themselves off as beautiful, hiding their true ugliness behind their masks.

Comenius used this device to illustrate that people go about pretending to be something they are not.

They try to cover up things like greed, jealousy and pride.

They do so in order to fool the people with whom they interact daily.

They try to fool others into thinking more highly of them.

But there is a danger in this attempt to deceive.

If we practice it long enough ourselves, we might begin to believe the mask rather than the truth.

We might even convince ourselves we are the illusion rather than the reality.

One thing is certain.

We will never be able to fool God.

Galatians 6:7 (NET) - Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,

There is a way to make the make the mask completely unnecessary.

Isaiah 1:18 (NET) - Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool.

This is possible through Jesus.

Hebrews 7:25 (NET) - So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Performing dual roles may be fine for actors.

But it is certainly no way for us to live.

Galatians 6:8 (NET) - because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 9, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 16, 2019