[Thanks, Adam, for the helpful thoughts below]
In Doulgas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” the Guide of the title is like a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide that sells to people travelling throughout the universe. One of the reasons the fictional book sells so well is that it has the words DON’T PANIC “printed in large-friendly letters on the cover.”
As Mandy reminded us at the start of Sunday’s service, life is difficult right now. Things seem uncertain, we can’t meet together physically as a church, we can be fearful. And our earthly future is uncertain. There’s no telling when things will start returning to “normal”, and how different that “normal” will be to eight or ten weeks ago. In an article for the Harvard Business review in late March, Scott Berinato equated these feelings with grief.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a book with DON’T PANIC written on the cover in large friendly letters right now? One that has some help for us in a time when we might be feeling grief.
In Tim Chester’s book “Enjoying God” (which I encourage you all to go and read!), he reminds us clearly that the Bible doesn’t just give us a picture of what Jesus WAS like, but what Jesus IS like – because as Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Tim Chester points out that Jesus says to the woman whose life is teetering on the edge following the loss of her husband and her only son “don’t cry” (Luke 7:11-17); to those who feel shame “go in peace” (Luke 7:36-50; 8:42-48); and Jairus, who is afraid that his daughter is lost to death, “do not be afraid” (Luke 8:40-56).
And because of the truth written to the Hebrews, Jesus would say the same to us today.
No matter how you’re feeling today, let the Bible, the words of God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit say “don’t cry”, “go in peace”, “don’t be afraid”, DON’T PANIC to you.