“A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is to enter into it.” – Dwight L. Moody
A recent story in The Week asks, “What Are We Scared Of?” They report the results of several polls and studies about the causes of anxiety in America. 42% of us are afraid of a random mass shooting, up from 16% in 2015; 57% of teens worry about gunfire erupting at school; 74% of us are fearful of corrupt government officials; 64% fear another world war breaking out in the near future. Like so many other issues on which we can’t agree as a nation, we’re also divided on which is scarier: sharks or President Trump. 43% say sharks and 42% say Trump.
We live in an era of high anxiety. The 24-hour news cycle and social media are dominated by messages of conflict and potential disaster. Life seems to have become more tenuous and uncertain. Despite all the changes in society, there is a solid rock in which we can trust, a God who never changes. The Apostle Peter, speaking to a group of believers in a different age of anxiety wrote: “Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 CEB).
Our heavenly Father sent his Son, Jesus, to be our Savior and Lord. He sends the Holy Spirit to be God’s presence with us. We can trust him to carry us through the deepest valleys and raging storms to experience the peace that surpasses human understanding. God is faithful and God is good.