Christ Our Anchor in Times of Trouble
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know we are living in a time of turmoil. It has felt that way for a while, but with war, rumors of wars, and political unrest, things feel increasingly unstable. I think many of us feel nervous about the future of our country and world.
This is a time to remember that Christ is our anchor in times of trouble. His rule and reign will outlast any political turmoil. We only need to read the book of Revelation to be reminded that, though these times are hard and will likely get harder, they should not be a surprise. Scripture makes clear that in the time between Christ’s ascension into heaven and his return, Christians will endure many tribulations. As we approach the election I plan to find ways to remind us of this and encourage us to find greater trust in Christ.
But in this (and, Lord willing) future newsletters, I want to consider Christ as our anchor from a different perspective. He must be our anchor as we think through the cultural and political conversations that are at the forefront today, both in our culture and in the church. The debates around immigration, global involvement, DEI policy, and more have Christians lining up on both sides arguing why their position is not just correct, but biblical.
While there are loud voices on each side, I think many Christians are somewhere in the middle trying to figure out what they believe. I often feel like I’m in a fog of uncertainty as I see valid points on both sides and struggle to know how to make sense of it all.
One thing that has struck me as I read Christians on both sides of each issue is that they are both using Scripture to make their points, but don’t use all of Scripture. Take the immigration debate. One side points to the commands in Scripture to welcome and show kindness to the foreigner. The other side points to the biblical principles of caring for those closest to us; they are our neighbors more than those who come from far away. Both are correct, and it’s hard to harmonize them and even harder to understand how to turn those principles into political policies.
While looking at all of Scripture is important, it isn’t the primary way we should consider the issues. Instead, Christ must anchor our understanding of all of Scripture; that includes how we think about immigration policy, global involvement, etc. Christ is not just the center of Scripture, but the center of history. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:10 that God’s master plan is to “bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” Don’t just quote Scripture to justify your position; that’s part of the reason Christians are just as divided as the rest of society. Instead, we need to approach issues with Christ as the lens through which we understand Scripture in the first place. When Christ remains our anchor, not just select verses, I believe that will help us develop biblical positions.
What does this look like? I’m still trying to figure that out! But over the next couple of newsletters I want to work through this. I’m learning as much as you, so please let me know your thoughts or give feedback where you think I’m wrong.
I don’t expect to solve all our issues. But I do feel a particular burden as your pastor to keep our congregation from the division we see in the rest of the American church. My hope is that these newsletters help us think through these topics in a more Christ-centered way. I worry that we are getting discipled by the loudest voices online, which aren’t always biblical. When Christ is our anchor we can continue to show Chrisitan unity, even when our convictions differ. I believe we face deep challenges that threaten to divide us, but our Anchor is deeper still.
If there are specific questions you have or issues you’d like me to cover, please let me know.
In Christ,
Pastor Jon