Is it noisy enough for you? Two national conventions stirring up politics of polarization have given the national media plenty of opportunity to be loud. Local law enforcement facing challenges in several cities across the country and another ISIS terror attack somewhere in the world all seem to have the volume ever increasing. Noisy indeed!
An old Billy Joel song comes to mind. The chorus lyrics include, “We didn’t start the fire. It’s been burnin’ since the world’s been turnin’.” The world will always be the world. As Christians, are we to tune out, tune in or navigate through somehow? The answer is yes - Discern well what noise needs to be tuned out but stay informed; Tune-in to the Word of God for perspective; and, as Jesus was the “Word become flesh” per John 1:14, tune-in to Him as you navigate through the noise.
“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. – Luke 24.25-27. On the road to Emmaus, two disciples were trying to get away from the noise of the previous week. There had been exultation as Jesus road into Jerusalem; expectation of Him establishing new rule over the Romans; frustration when He was arrested; devastation when He was crucified, dead and buried; and confusion around the women reporting His body as missing. Noisy indeed. Then Jesus shows up and walks with them. Luke says “they were kept from recognizing Him” – 24:16. Maybe it was the noise level that kept them from seeing Him. On the walk, Jesus provided perspective by explaining what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. He helped them tune out the noise around His physical death, tune-in to the Scriptures and tune-in to Him in the spiritual realm.
Just as the disciples on the road to Emmaus were under the influence of a plethora of emotions, there are certainly a number of emotions stirred up today with the state of family, state of the Church, state of our nation and of the world. The call is to tune out the noise that is of this world, tune-in to the Word of God and tune-in to a relationship with Jesus the Christ to navigate through the noise in a way that glorifies Him.
Prayer guide: Lord, I praise You for Your Word and for the Word become flesh. Forgive me for tuning-in to the world and allowing the noise to frustrate and discourage. Thank You for the perspective offered in the Scriptures and the strength granted through the resurrected Christ to navigate through this world. Help me stay tuned-in to Your Word with eyes that always recognize Jesus’ presence in my life. Amen.
A faithful father is tuned-in to the Word of God and leads by example.
