A FRACTURED WORLD

 Troubles come and troubles go. Really? It seems me more like, troubles come and keep coming. I love it when people tell me I am not alone. It sure feels like it. And how comforting do they think it is just to know that everyone else is suffering too? To me, we sometimes have a skewed view of the world we live in. We look at New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, et. al. and think how much hatred resides in those towns. We see the murder rate in various areas of the world and are often taken back by the overwhelming numbers. Divorce is at or above 50% even in Christian homes. People are born with diseases and physical abnormalities that leave them all but helpless if not for the care of others. And poverty. People walking the streets without homes, many void of contact with their own families as a result. It is a fractured world.

But you say, “I live in Pennsboro, WV and we do not have those issues here.” Here they are not on the nightly news. Here they are not paraded before us every evening in the hope of making profit from the headlines. But they are here. They hide behind closed doors.  Most often they are not out in the open. Walk down any street in any town and you will find despair shrouded by a false smile. Houses with wheelchair ramps are common. You will see children in the care of single parents. You will see, even in the houses of worship, poverty so overwhelming it crushes the impoverished worshipper as he stands beside those who have plenty. Hatred lives here too, but it is more carefully covered up by silence, fence lines and exclusive social activities. Even in our town, we must admit it is a fractured world.

When we look at the difficulties, we face every day, we simply must put them in perspective or completely fall apart. “I am not alone,” actually can be a comfort, even if ever so slight. Take the difficulty most recent in your own life for an example. Regardless of what it was (or is) something very much like it was experienced by someone else today, and yesterday, ad infinitum. As Solomon said, Ecclesiastes  1:9-10 “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (v.10) Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new...?” 

I am not saying that it is comforting to know that trouble and sorrow come to all of us. But sometimes a better perspective can relieve at least some of the distress we feel. Suffering is, and always has been, universal; Job 14:1-2 “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. (v.2) He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” In the very first family on earth, there was trouble. Two parents (the only two) had the crushing reality that one of their own sons was a murderer. How can a parent deal with that level of trauma? How do we get up in the morning and face the next day knowing that one of our own sons murdered his brother? Trauma, literally, comes to all of us because…it is a fractured world.

When we consider the issues we face today, perspective can help. Prayer, the reading of God’s Word, the indwelling Holy Spirit, yes; but also, perspective. Where am in I in the Lord today? Am I walking close to God this morning? Being a child of God does not eliminate trials and troubles (look at king David). But it can help us to keep trouble from destroying us. Knowing that the troubles I see are evidence that God loves me, even in my trials, can bring comfort. And they are proof Jesus had to die in my place because I can certainly never earn salvation, as evidenced by my own broken life. My troubles and trials prove I could never be worthy of His great love.

God came to redeem a fallen world, a world destroyed by sin. It is that world we see every day, and that we experience in our own homes as well. He would not have died to redeem us if we could have done something to redeem ourselves. Every pain, every heartache, every injustice we see is evidence of the great and overwhelming love of God (John 3:16), because he came to save even those who caused the pain, the heartache and the injustices we see every day. God loves, and died to redeem, those who are fallen…US, you and me. When we see the fractured lives of others, remember they see our fractured lives as well. Look at the trouble in our lives and remember, “God commendeth (or proved) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. While we were sinning, while we were actively rebelling against Him, He died to redeem us. The troubles we see in life should be a constant reminder of this amazing love.

This is a fractured world. It will always be full of trouble. But when Jesus saved us He also made a great promise to those who would receive the salvation he offers: John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (V.2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (v.3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” When you see troubles in your life and all the fractured lives around you, try to also see the redeeming love of God reaching out to each one of them. It is a fractured world that Jesus came to save.