Spiritual wisdom to face chaos and anxiety

We have been living through years of uncertainty and unease, and this past season, that uncertainty has ramped up to an alarming degree. I don’t think that in my lifetime society has had to deal with as much instability—unless you cast your mind back to the cold war and the fear of nuclear attack that some of us were raised with. Perhaps, some of us out there will remember the 1930s and their economic upheaval and political turmoil as a lived experience. Those days are 90 years back now, and the wisdom of having lived through them is receding quickly from living memory with every elders death.

Younger members of our society have no frame of reference for the chaos and anxiety that they face on a daily basis—and that is just dealing with the issues surrounding growing up and learning how to be human in the early 21^st century. Add to it the political turmoil and disruption, the global displacement of millions of people and the quick easy answers of the ‘strong men’ who vie for our votes trying to convince us that they have what it takes to get all the emotional and political toothpaste back into the tube. I am not convinced they do, frankly.

We are approaching the season of Lent, and this means we are meant to have a good, hard look at ourselves and perhaps even at the figures who we have trusted in the midst of turmoil. The 40 days temptation in the wilderness is an example that the spiritual answers to many of our pressing questions are not answered quickly. Spiritual wisdom to face the chaos and uncertainty that are stalking the world does not come packaged as motivational posters or coffee mugs with wise sayings. If it were that easy, I suspect Jesus would have been the fool to face temptation and Satan for 40 days.

Our reliance must be on Christ alone, for he is our saviour and our guide of the way out of chaos and into the Lord’s marvellous light. Plenty of others will offer themselves as the ones with the answers, but our focus is meant to stay on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. That reliance does not mean that we will be protected from the storms or uncertainties that may attempt to overwhelm us. Rather it means that the uncertainties may be borne and the storms weathered knowing that they will not destroy us.

Much is made in the management culture today of “resilience”. Whole books on management and even child rearing are focussed on how we can develop resilient children, or resilient co-workers. If ever there was a season of the Church year, whose purpose was to teach us resilience, then it would be this one. We are reminded from the very start that every temptation that comes our way has an ending and we only need resist long enough and the temptation will flee away. This may sound old fashioned, but in a time when every matter under heaven is meant to be solved and resolved instantaneously, we need the help of lent to become more resilient.

That resilient ideal is based in our faith in Jesus, our confidence in his loving care for us and the temporary nature of the trials and tribulations that come our way. He has accomplished the fullness of salvation for us, we are not expected to do more than he has already done. Our only requirement is faith in his power and endurance for the trials to come. May this lent be a time for you stability and strength in the Lord, as we navigate the changes and chances of this life, for he is our resilience.