Finding Hope In Obedience

The snow is melting away and little by little the temperature is beginning to warm up here in Atlantic Canada. Spring is a gift, but it is a gift we may not get to enjoy too much in light of our current circumstances. Ouch! That is a difficult thing to ponder, especially since many of us are going stir crazy after only two weeks of being indoors. Yes, I know it's difficult and it is tempting to run outside and to break all the rules. The fact of the matter is we can't. We can't not only because federal and provincial laws are telling us we can't, but Jesus is also telling us we can't. Yes, Jesus is telling us to stay indoors!

As a Christian, I value life from natural birth to natural death and everything in between. This in between means that I want to love my neighbor and protect their life in any way I can. You can flip endlessly through the Bible to try to find a commandment that says:

"Thou shalt not go outside during a pandemic."

but I admit won't find that exact wording. What you will find in the Sermon on the Mount is the following:

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' - Matthew 5:21

Okay, you're not murdering anyone if you follow the rules (i.e. proper social distancing) when you go outside. If you don't follow the rules, then let's face facts. You're endangering lives. If someone dies at the hands of a reckless person, then that is murder.

I understand what I am writing here may come across as being harsh, but we should never mince our words when the well being of others depends on our obedience. We live in a world where the word obedience sounds like a bad word but in actual fact there is a lot of freedom in being obedient. It's the worldly interpretation of obedience that leads us astray.

Amidst all of the anxiety and boredom surrounding obedience there is HOPE! If we obey, good things will happen. We need to remember that God is the ultimate authority in all of this. Even though the heavenly kingdom and the governments of this world are miles apart, God is guiding our earthly leaders to make the decisions they are making.

"There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." - Romans 13:1

Obedience gives us an opportunity to dig deeper and to find ways to overcome anxiety and fear. Doing simple yet profound things like praying, reading scripture, journaling, sharing your feelings with friends and family, connecting with believers, exercising, and showing love to others will have a profound effect on dealing with this trying time. I've been taking an on-line course on Paul's letter to the Philippians along with the other things listed above. Oh yes, and I started a blog!

So, please be patient, obey, pray and you will find hope in God.