Victory

 

 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (I Corinthians 1:8-25)

 

            We sometimes hear about our living in an upside-down world. Upside-down, inside-out, twisted, fallen… and we’re often just as confused as everyone else. Years ago, I read a Christian science fiction novel about which the only thing I remember is that the hero died at the end in a way that shouted “failure!” to me, but in the book, was declared to be a victory because the hero had not yielded to temptation. I recall being irritated with the ending then, but that’s precisely where we stand today.

          If you read the social media about COVID-19, you’ll likely read that everyone else in the world is winning, and the US is losing. When the warnings first started circulating, I found myself frustrated because historically, Christians have run toward pandemics. We have risked our lives to help but there seemed nothing I could do. There’s still nothing I can do. Like everyone else in the world, I sit by, waiting, feeling like a failure.

          I felt something of the same thing at church on Sunday. The sermon was about missions. Pastor Mike quoted John Piper, who said that there are “zealous goers, zealous senders, and the disobedient.” And I found myself frustrated because when we think of missions, the idea is always sending people to Africa, South America, or Asia, while we are doing so little in our hometowns. Where are the zealous goers and senders here?

          What is the “grand and glorious” dreams of running toward the pandemic and being a zealous goer or sender to the far-flung lost – as good as they might be – are not the real victory? I’m not saying they’re wrong, but we assume they are the goals. What if they’re not, precisely because they are grand and glorious dreams? What if the real victory is trusting God whatever our circumstances? What if the victory is learning to hope despite the pandemic? What if it is to pray, and pray some more, not just for ourselves, but for those around us, and our enemies? What if the running toward the pandemic we need to be doing is spiritual rather than physical?

          What if the victory is to be found in sharing God’s Word, and God’s music, and God’s joy on-line? What if victory is found in not getting bogged down in the bog of hatred, or hopelessness, or even boredom?

         There is a spiritual battle going on that is more important than our physical circumstances. There may be no better time to be a “fool” and win a victory – and chances are good, it starts inside, without ourselves and our attitudes.