Senators calling for a military coup — politicians not bothering to hide when they’re lying — a world turned upside down.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 6:22-24)
Where shall I find love, joy, peace and the rest? Certainly not by surfing the political TV channels. Can I go into a cocoon of joy, peace, patience, kindness and the rest? Won’t I be swallowed whole when the forces of hate and violence overcome us?
Perhaps, maybe even probably.
In the meantime, those of us who love God and love our neighbors might provide an oasis from the storms. Those who choose not to participate in the madness may be destroyed by the gleefully mad participants, but at least we do so lovingly, gently, and confident that the madness is not destined to last forever.
That almost sounds glum and defeatist, but it’s the exact opposite. I would rather live my life seeking reasons to love and live in peace than to chase down every dark influence skulking in gutters and sewers.
I have no reason to hate and every reason to love. Those who sow the fruit of the Spirit will feed more souls than those who sow discord and hate.
I’m not perfect. Some days I’m discouraged and fail to hide my melancholy in this space. But I’m pleased to discover it’s easier to find reasons to hope than to despair. I hear them in the honking of geese as they gather for their migration. I see them in the tapestry of a sunset over the water. I feel them in the crisp morning air and smell them in the aroma of fallen leaves. I taste them in the sweetness of an apple plucked from a local orchard.
Most of all I find reasons to hope in the friends and everyday people I encounter all the time, who are more likely to show kindness, patience and gentleness toward me despite all the efforts to divide us.
When I’m tempted to get swept into the maelstrom of suspicion and hatred, I only need to stop for a quiet moment to find the joy. It’s waiting for you, too, in the quiet. Stop, taste and see.
