Hope in the Storm

 

Photo by Mikhail Serdyukov on Unsplash 

“…Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious… think about these things.” - Phil 4:8

Every day the news is filled with terror, death, tragedy, and injustice. Reports of riots, civil unrest, forest fires, and shootings fill our television screens. In contrast, St. Paul encourages us to think about that which is true, pure, and lovely. Such things seem elusive, but they are there, even in the midst of the storms. 

God’s grace and beauty can shine through the darkest events, and God’s image is most often reflected on the faces of the people involved. Even in the aftermath of a forest fire or the chaos and turbulence of a riot, the honorable, the just, and the lovely are glimpsed. 

In a daring rescue in the Sierra National Forest, the military intervenes to airlift hundreds of trapped campers. Police and Fire Departments continue to respond to emergencies, quietly doing their jobs in the midst of rioting. In recent reports, U.S. Marshalls have carried out the rescue of dozens of trafficked children in undercover operations taking place across the country. 

The true, the honorable, the lovely and gracious are most clearly visible in the people that reflect God’s image in our world, as seen in the faces of these rescuers. Some heroes are in uniform; still others are found in everyday life. Truth and loveliness can also be seen in the embrace of a courageous mother protecting her child or the sacrificial love of a husband who risks his life for his bride. 

God calls each of us to carry out the works of goodness, justice, and grace in the world. He has placed us in His vineyard and sent His Son to us, so that we may become, like Him, sons and daughters of God, empowered to be light in the darkness, hope in the storm, filled with a love that gives without counting the cost.