Maintaining a Peaceful Presence in the Midst of Riots, Covid, and Chaos
Image by Avi Chomotovski from Pixabay
I don’t know how it is for you but everyone I spoke to this week in my counseling practice and even my personal life seemed stressed out of their minds.
Quarantine, fear of contracting COVID-19, the wrongful death of George Floyd, awakening awareness of policing injustices, peaceful protests but also by violent riots – one stressor upon another assaulted people’s mental health.
The highly politicized and charged atmosphere surrounding these topics seems to have spiked to an all-time high.
One person told me that a relative is considering buying a gun for protection this week. A teenager told me that everyone on her social media is angry, making hateful comments regarding the news. It’s really stressing her deeply. Yet another shared how a beloved family member had been killed by police in what appeared to be a wrongful death situation and the news had brought those old wounds to the surface again.
I am sure you have been hearing your own stories as well.
It’s a lot for people to deal with.
As leaders, we need to know what’s going on. We must be able to speak as the voice of calm and reason and faith. The most emotionally intelligent pastors read the mood in their community and congregation and determine how to speak into it.
I don’t have a list of steps or a couple of key principles today on how to do that. But I have something to pass along.
Since the pandemic began I have been studying through the book of Psalms. Psalm 46 dropped into my week a few days ago with perfect timing. I’d like to share a few verses from it with you along with my notes.
Psalm 46 (NLT)
Verse 1
One of my favorites. verse 1 says : “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Not only is God present at the time of need, the Hebrew word for present includes the idea of sufficiency, enough. God is sufficient to meet the need. God is enough. God sustains us when the tumult surrounding us appears threatening.
Next, the Psalm informs us how bad things can get without causing us to give up our faith. So, how long can we still trust God and rest secure in his refuge?
Verses 2 and 3
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
That all sounds a whole lot worse than what we have experienced this past week!
In the midst of trouble and chaos we’re exhorted to remember God’s city and his peace.
Verses 4 through 5
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
Then again, in the midst of this turmoil, we’re reassured again of God’s help.
Verse 7
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Finally, we’re exhorted to simply wait on and trust in him.
Verse 10
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.
I trust that meditating on these scriptural truths will help you maintain a peaceful presence in days ahead, regardless of the challenges or chaos that lies ahead.
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