That You May Know

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. ~ 1 John 5:13

Puffy black and gray clouds dangled low over the landscape while civil defense sirens sounded across the county. Children jabbered nervously as their little legs struggled to keep up with the faithful teachers who guided them through long corridors toward the tornado shelter downstairs. Members of the office staff stood in their doorways smiling and reassuring the preschoolers and the man whose beard resembled the clouds outside spoke repeatedly, said, “It’s going to be OK. I’m proud of you. Practicing helps us know what to do when it’s an actual emergency.” It was severe weather awareness week and the statewide practice drill was underway. Coincidentally, a stray, harmless rain shower passed over the church, adding an air of gloom to a balmy spring day. 

        I was the man with the stormy beard, and a sunny scalp unsheltered by its once wavy, thick mane. As a father and grandfather, I am helplessly inclined to feel a tender compassion for the little people who learn and grow in the church’s preschool wing. It’s been a year of firsts for many of the children as they left home and family to venture into care of kindly and skilled teachers. They’ve learned to trust that mom’s, dads, grandparents, and other caregivers who left them behind will return in a little while. The children learn to be more independent and to rely upon relationships they build in a larger society. Joy, discipline, exploration, and boundaries expanded throughout the months, but occasionally thunderclaps, fire drills, and now, tornado drills led to a moment of fear and uncertainty. That’s why we stand in our doorways, offering smiles and reassuring words. We hope the children will learn there are angels all around them, especially in times of trouble. 

        A notification on my watch startled me after being so immersed in the children’s world. An important appointment required me to gather some things and dart out the door. I needed to lead worship in the retirement community across the street. I found no one present when I breezed into the chapel and wondered if I’d gotten my date wrong. Within a few minutes, residents slowly made their way into the worship space. I’d failed to consider that they, too, had experienced the tornado drill. The contrast between what I’d come from and where I’d arrived was striking, and a little amusing. The seasoned saints in the chapel seemed more perturbed than anything. Also, a few thought it was a real tornado. The mild aggravation of having routines upset by anything as unlikely as a tornado striking their home was present as our time together began. Not that they didn’t appreciate the care and consideration of the staff, only that they’d been there and done that plenty of times. 

Since I hadn’t prepared as well as usual and people kept trickling in, I conducted a bible study and prayer time rather than a structured worship service. I still glean so much wisdom from seasoned saints, even as I grow closer to their state of citizenship. I quickly discovered that threats to their personal comfort and safety don’t frighten them nearly as much as those presented to their children and children’s children, and their children. My senior friends enjoyed hearing about the drill across the road and the little one’s responses. They imagined themselves comforting preschoolers with wizened, smiling faces. Another interesting thing about growing older, it seems, is that one must learn to trust experts who are often much younger, like doctors, nurses, caregivers, lawyers, and pastors. After a lifetime of teaching and leading their juniors, older folks must now depend upon them. 

As their visiting pastor, I assumed such a role and reminded them of the bible’s promises and reviewed Jesus’s prophecies in the Gospel of Matthew and in the Revelation. A lifelong learner with a passion for history and sociology, I reminded them of the last century through which they’d lived most of their lives; how their parents and grandparents told them about hard times, fearful trials, peace, and prosperity. We grieved the realities of the news today and recognized their implications for our beloved descendants. The veterans acknowledged the high cost of suffering through endless cycles of war, pestilence, famine, and decadence. It seems like an inevitable resurgence of evil and its reign. Each global disaster is far worse than the last and those who witness it think the end of time is at hand until it’s over and the survivors are still here. 

In that bible study with my elders, and in our daily lives, we must cling to the person of Jesus Christ just as despair struggles against our better nature. Jesus is One who can truly say, “I’ve been there and done that plenty of times.” He can kneel in the corridors of our panic, anxiety, and fearful frustration to say, “I’m proud of you.” “You’re OK so far.” “It’s good to practice now, so you’ll be ready later.” Jesus gave us a Way of faith built upon faithful, courageous firsts of our lives, even into old age. 

Over the years, we’ve learned to trust kindly and skilled teachers. We’ve learned to trust the Savior and Lord who left us behind is still with us in the Spirit and will return in a little while. Even as we became more and more independent, we learned to rely upon relationships, especially Christian community. Joy, discipline, exploration, and boundaries expanded throughout our lives, but occasional thunderclaps of broken hearts, trauma, discord, grief, fear, and uncertainty startle us and awaken primal dread. Hopefully, we’ve learned, too, that there are angels all around, especially in times of trouble. 

Our brief bible study concluded with a review of the Revelation’s two principle purposes; to instruct Christians in how to live the Gospel - the seven letters to seven churches, and to inform us of things to come, so that we will not be so frightened because our Lord is the shelter in whom we live and move, and have our being. Christ secured our eternal safety and taught us everything we need to know for abundant life in our times. 

We prayed after concluding our conversation and study, and this is what we said. “Almighty God, King Jesus, Life Giving Spirit.” “Into your hands we commend our spirits and those of all whom we hold dear in our hearts this day.” “Amen.”