Oct 31st, 2020: Different Spirits of the World




I have decided to use this picture as the basis for my blog today. Some might say what it has nothing to do with Halloween? Well, it might not have anything to do with it, or it might address something about the spirit of this world.


Some people are falling apart, and I can testify to that via what I have heard and witnessed in my daily activities as a corporate chaplain. Covid-19 has not helped that situation very much. I don't think that it is the root of the spirit of indifference that we have seen in our society. It might just underline it somehow.


We live in a time when the spirit of fear has dominated the news. Some people would see nothing wrong in demonizing other people out of fear or out of hatred. The costume we wear to disguise this spirit has the image of sexual freedom and racial equality. Honestly, we have seen more hate and more inequality. We see more name callings than ever before. We see more condemnation toward people who happen to stand for their moral convictions. We end up failing to have a meaningful conversation with one another when we disagree.


We live in a time when the spirit of distrust is pervasive. People, in general, don't trust the government or any form of authority. We are cynical toward whoever claims that they tell the truth about anything. Our media people have become so divided that watching the news these days is like watching kids fight in a school playground. The lack of trust has created a deep social decay in our society, and that might be one of the reasons why we are not fighting this pandemic very well. 


We live in a time when the spirit of hopelessness is prevalent in the face of many young people today. Many of them, who graduate from university in 2020 and 2021, might be seen as the generation of "Employment Disappearing". The opportunity to have meaningful employment has become a great distance to overcome. Many are living with the thought of what life has become for them. 


Now we might understand why so many people might fall apart, and we are not even aware of it. Maybe it is time to take our "masks" off and open our hearts to receive one another more freely. Don't be afraid to talk to one another. Don't be too quick to make a judgment on others because they are different. Don't hide behind our victim mentality to claim our privileges while losing our true freedom and self-worth. And yes, if you happen to wait in line for a coffee, buy one for a stranger and wish them a blessed day. 


We are not just fighting COVID-19 at this point. We are fighting against the spirits of the world.


1 Peter 5: 8

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

 

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more