Be Radical

(The picture shown is a Kamikaze One Man Submarine. In other words, it was made for a one man, one way trip.)

I have experienced a wide variety of emotions this past week. I’ve been in shock, disbelief, horror, anger, and outrage. And I’ve been ambushed by a flood of tears on several occasions as I try to imagine the grief that thousands of families experienced.

As I walked through the memorials at Pearl Harbor Hawaii, I saw a lot of pain, death, fear and hopelessness. It was a “day of infamy”! I reflected on this radical attack and realized, it wasn’t the only “infamy” day. September 11, 2001 has become another one of those radical days.

In James 4:14 "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

Even though life may seem to be long; when we think back, years fly by that seem like only weeks or months ago. How quickly one’s life can be snuffed out by our own actions or of another such as the events at Pearl Harbor or September 11th.  Psalm 46 was written in context of problem’s, stress and uncertainty. In this Psalm, God demonstrates his dependability.

In the midst of whatever we’re feeling today, God desires to be our refuge, our strength, and our help. God is our refuge even when what seems permanent is demolished. When the world crashes in around us, God is still there, protecting us. If God is your refuge and strength, you don’t have anything to worry about!

Even though the “earth gives way,” or the landscape suddenly changes, we don’t have to be afraid. The Psalm is saying that when that which is secure is suddenly gone, we’re to seek refuge in God Himself. Our sense of helplessness and fear should drive us to Him.

No matter how bad things get, God’s presence means that He will help us. When we wake up to start a brand new day, we can experience what Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:22-23:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is present with His people even when “nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall” (Psalm 46:6)

As a nation, and as a church, according to verse 8 we’re called to “come and see the works of the Lord.” I’m amazed at how people are seeking the Lord right now and I assume they did so after Japan attacked.

Life is way too unpredictable and too brief to live it without God at the center. The truth of the matter is that everybody is just one heartbeat away from eternity.

Proverbs 27:1 “do not boast about tomorrow because we don’t know what a day will bring forth.”  

When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, there was a feeling of radical exhilaration among our enemies. But one man knew better. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto knew that rather than victory, Japan had instead sowed the seeds for its final defeat. In his famous quote he said, “We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.”

While these attacks  awaken America, my prayer is that the sleeping giant called the church will wake up and resolve to exalt God through instruction, ministry, prayer, adoration, caring, and telling others the gospel… no matter who they are. Friend or foe, we need to love all. We forgive because God first forgave us; we love because God first loved us; we sacrifice because Jesus sacrificed for us all.

Matthew 5:43-45: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…”

This is radical.