I am sure that you, like me, have been somewhat preoccupied with world events of late. I am not certain if the number of disturbing events is due to the fact that there are more now than (let’s say) two and a half years ago or that we simply have greater access to immediate information and reporting. Of course we have all been impacted by the covid pandemic. Now there is the unjust war on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his henchmen that threatens to spill over into Europe. Xi Jinping and China’s Communist Party have been intensifying their threats toward Taiwan. Kim Jong-un keeps cranking out new ballistic nuclear missiles. Then there is the cultural and social unrest here in our own country. Inflation is on the rise and so is horrific gun violence. It seems that the very fabric of our nation is unraveling at breakneck speed. All the political and cultural tension and stress has also made its way into the church. Rather than stand as salt and light, the (evangelical) church (my tribe) seems to have imbibed the heady cocktail of blatant worldliness!

I have come to three settled convictions regarding what I am to do in light of all these overwhelming and seemingly threatening circumstances.