It feels like in so many aspects of public life, locusts are swarming. But what if that’s not the end of the story?
“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel
and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.” Joel 2:26-27
As I think about this moment in the church, I can see why there is significant concern about the future. But then I am reminded of the song my mom would sing when she was helping me fall asleep as a child: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…because He lives, all fear is gone…because I know who holds the future, and life is worth a living, just because Christ lives.” Are those words, and words like them in scripture, just empty hope? I don’t think so. I think they’re an invitation to hold a long view and tell a deeper story.
I listened to a presenter recently talk about how often we bring to mind those whose shoulders we stand on–the ancestors who went before us. But do we bring to mind those who will stand on our shoulders? Do we see ourselves as ancestors of the future? This is one of the things that compels me about working with children, youth and young adults. It reminds me that the story will go beyond my particular part in it.
As we face the reality of decline and anxiety in this moment, what keeps us from totally giving up hope? What keeps us from turning in on ourselves and prioritizing our own material success and happiness? For me, it’s the promise that God gave over and over again to God’s people…this moment is not the end of the story for God’s people. The famine will be over. The exile will end. The wilderness wandering will lead to the Promised Land. Death will be overcome.
The reading from Joel talks about the devastating effects of a swarm of locusts, and God’s promise that a day will come when all that has been destroyed will be restored. It feels like in so many aspects of public life, locusts are swarming. But what if that’s not the end of the story? What if the story continues…even if we may not be part of it when it does? What if we get to hold onto a vision for a future we won’t get to see?
What might God be growing through your faithful presence today?