Sharing the hope, not the assumption

Normally I love a new year. The pressure of the holiday season is passed, the deck is cleared for a fresh start.

In some ways both of those things remain true, and in other ways, not. The pandemic adds to both. There's lots of uncertainty. There's a lot of opportunity to trust the Lord.

I don't have a lot of thoughts I want to share for today. This may be an instance of writing because I said I would write. As they say in radio, talk until you have something to say.

Dead air in radio, is a no-no. It's the fast-track to losing listeners which is not the goal.

C-SPAN Radio usually doesn't allow much dead air either. Sometimes their HD3 radio station, the simulcast of C-SPAN2 allows more. The Senate has long periods of silence at times. Sometimes C-SPAN2 fills that in with re-airing of earlier comments. Later in the day, or on a holiday like today, the broadcast coordinator loses interest, and they let the quiet of the Senate chamber stand.

I find this helpful, but not because of the silence or any mystical properties thereof. I just like to have the actual audio to hear when there's something to hear, and not have to hear something when there's nothing to hear or only repetition of what's already been said.

I'm sure many would like 2021 to follow that kind of pattern. We don't want a repeat of 2020 in case there's a gap in the action of 2021. Everyone is hoping for a better year, and some are even assuming that's the only option ahead, vaccine distribution under way, etc.

I share the hope. I don't share the assumption.

What if God is trying to get the nation's and the world's attention? The Scriptural pattern would indicate He is, and he has reason to to seek it.

Is there any evidence any nation is heeding that call?

Is there a nation that is humbly seeking the Lord? Has a nation changed its mind about evil in its midst?

When a nation or city reacts to evil in its midst with “[City name] Strong,” and a hashtag to that effect trends, what changes? If anything, the “strong” message is one of not changing anything.

Is this message present in a church? Do pastors know the Word of God well enough to recognize the pattern in a nation when they see it? Are they calling on their nation or any nation to change its mind about sin among them?