Volume X II Issue 2
February 2009
From Pastor Keck. . . Are You Ready For This? Whenever I take a trip or am part of some large church outing or event, I must admit, I secretly hope that something unexpected happens, that some challenging event occurs. Usually I am not disappointed. If you wait long enough or take enough trips, eventually there is going to arise some crisis or event that requires that people come together and deal with a common threat or problem. And, as long as it is not too challenging, I am grateful for the opportunity to suffer. Why, you may ask, do you wish for some problem to arise? Why would you ever want to suffer? It is simple really. Because challenges are the means by which we grow and progress in life. As the saying goes, No pain, no gain. Or as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:2-4 . . . we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. When life is too easy for us, we often indulge ourselves in personal and social excesses and vices. Without realizing, we become spiritually weak, sinful and lazy. Untested and unchallenged, we assume that all is well, until
that day when a crisis comes upon us. Then we find out what we are made of. We all like to assume that we are people of good character, integrity and moral strength that we are true Christians. In unchallenging times it is easy to sustain such beliefs. However, when life changes on us, when tough times come, we are often shocked to find out just how quickly our moral pretensions collapse under the weight of fear, uncertainty and change. A professor of mine at the University of Chicago, Langdon Gilkey, was imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. This was a civilian camp in China. Westerners of all different stations in life were herded into these camps for the duration of the war. Professor Gilkey wrote a book about his experiences in this camp, Shantung Compound. In this book, he describes how people were forced to deal with the deprivation and fear of being locked away in this war camp. Gilkey paints a vivid picture of what humans are like under stressful situations; and it is not pretty. He describes how most people in the camp demonstrated a selfish, base, mean spirited and quarrelsome character. When tested, most failed.
How long has it been since we were really tested as a nation and a people? Are we ready for what may lay ahead? What about Marengo? Is the town prepared to deal with the economic and social challenges it now faces? How long has it been since we have been tested as a church or a congregation? Are we prepared for the changes and the challenges that are ahead for us? Will we quarrel, hoard and fight? Or are we prepared to sacrifice and suffer, calling upon our better natures and inner spiritual strength? Are we prepared to turn toward God to help us in our weakness and seek to be strengthened and changed? In our own church we are confronted with a serious financial situation. How will we respond to this challenge? Time will tell. However, I personally believe that we have the character to meet this challenge. It will require sacrifice on our part. Yet I truly believe that this sacrifice will make us stronger and more hopeful. I pray the same for our country and world. I pray that we will recognize our true natures and seek God s help. For Christ has taught us that suffering can be a path to character, peace and security. This is my hope.