Fear, Faith, Politics & Peace
FEAR
I have a fear of flying. It isn’t even a logical fear. I’ve flown multiple times in my life, the first time being during the summer between my second and third grade years when my family flew to Europe to stay several weeks in both England and France. My fears do not come from negative experiences. I have been fortunate enough to take relatively smooth flights, the worst being a somewhat turbulent flight from Colorado back to Texas in the midst of a blizzard in Colorado. Even then, the flight arrived at my destination without any issues.
Yet, when it is time to take another flight, anxiety wells up inside of me, knowing the flight from takeoff to touchdown is completely out of my control. It’s just bigger than me.
I have found that all too often, our fears are not grounded in reality; rather they are rooted in speculation. Most times we are not fearful about what really is going to happen, but we fear what could happen.
POLITICS
When it comes to politics and the ramifications of each election, many times it feels like our country is boarding a flight. What will this flight be like? Will it be a smooth or turbulent flight? Will we have problems or will we make it to our destination in tact? Or, worst-case scenario will we crash with no hope for revival?
As I read social media posts from people on both sides, it seems that there is a real fear that if the candidate from the opposite party wins the election, impending doom is what awaits us. I admit, I think that the decisions we make for the leadership of our country absolutely have consequences. Voting for a party or a candidate should not be a decision we take lightly.
As believers, I wholeheartedly believe we not only should, but we have an obligation to vote and to cast a vote that will reflect what the Scriptures, God’s Holy Word, teaches us. Our vote should not be separate from, but guided by our faith, just as every aspect of our lives should be guided by our faith.
Regardless, it is an overwhelming feeling knowing that while I have a vote and you have a vote, ultimately, this is out of our control. It’s just bigger.
But, then again, do I really need to be the one in control?
PEACE
This morning my family and I boarded a flight from Houston to Dallas as we returned home from celebrating my sister’s wedding. The flight to Houston was rather uneventful. But, as we sat aboard the plane waiting for takeoff for our return flight, the pilot came over the speakers to let us know they were having some maintenance issues with the plane and were working to resolve them. We weren’t going to exit the plane; we would just sit tight while they worked to resolve the issue, which included turning the plane off and turning it back on. I guess that works for more than just your computer.
As they made this announcement, I felt that familiar anxiety welling up inside of me. Surely, maintenance issues are not a good thing. Shouldn’t we get a whole new plane? You know… just to be safe. I put on a brave face for my wife and children, but inside, I felt it. Will my fears of flying be realized?
Then, I had a calming thought: The pilot flies multiple flights per day. He has done this probably hundreds of times. If it weren’t safe, he wouldn’t even take off. He knew what he was doing. I just needed to trust him. Yes, it is in fact bigger than me. But, that’s why I’m not the one flying the plane. They had a professional in charge. And I could trust that the one who knew what to do, would do what was best for all those on board the flight. This thought gave me peace.
Clearly, we made it home safely.
FAITH
When it comes to politics and the current election, it is still bigger than me. But, I’m reminded, just like on the plane today, I’m not flying the plane. In fact, Joe Biden is not flying the plane. Donald Trump is not flying the plane. The Republicans and Democrats are not flying the plane. Regardless of who is elected, they are not the captain.
Jesus is the Captain. He is the Captain of my life. He is the Captain of my faith. Jesus is the Captain of all things. And while all of this truly is bigger than me…bigger than us all… I choose to put my faith in the one who is bigger than politics… bigger than all of it. I trust that regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, that Jesus will continue to reign. He certainly will be reigning in my life.
Worst-Case Scenario
Since my mind tends to go to worst-case scenarios when I fly, I thought I would take this moment to remind myself and all who choose to read this of the Apostle Paul’s mindset when it came to the worst-case scenario.
While Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was under house arrest. Ultimately, imprisoned for his faith in Christ. He wasn’t completely sure what would happen. He could be set free or he could face the worst-case scenario: being killed for his faith.
At the thought of this worst-case scenario, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Paul was not shaken by this worst-case scenario. He was simply compelled to rejoice. He would rejoice if he lived. He would rejoice if he died. He would rejoice, because his hope, faith, and trust were completely in the person of Jesus Christ.
Today, my hope is not in a politician or a party. My hope is and will always be in the person of Jesus Christ.
Regardless of what the future holds, I have both peace and joy in knowing that Jesus holds the future.