Dear Church Family,
Happy Maryland Day! ……… What?
I can’t believe that some of you are not celebrating this momentous day. It is a day to eat crab cakes fried or broiled with the right amount of Old Bay seasoning and as little filler as possible. While it is a legal holiday in the state where I grew up, school would be in session. I remember singing the state song “Maryland, My Maryland” followed by someone in the class retelling the story of two ships – ‘The Ark and the Dove’ – brought English settlers to the north shore of the Potomac in 1634. March 25 commemorates a significant day in Maryland history.
I am happy to educate about Maryland history. More importantly I want to remind you about another history, namely, what history is all about. History tends to focus on dates, events, people, etc. and how they impact life on earth. Being human we focus on what other people have done over time to bring us to where we are today. Certainly that is important lest we repeat the mistakes that have been made in the past. Sadly, we can see how we have not learned the lessons that history tries to teach.
As followers of Jesus Christ we must see all the events from the beginning of time as the unfolding story of God working to redeem His people. All that happens comprises the eternal plan of God. Psalms 105 and 106, as well at Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7, provide wonderful stories of how God saves His chosen people. The psalmist in 105:42 joyfully recounts that God “remembered His holy promise given to His servant Abraham.” God made history in what He did for His people. That is why we can call what happens over all time “HIS-Story.”
I bring this to encourage you with the absolute confidence that God will continue to carry out His-Story as He has promised. With the panic that consumes many today, many are tempted to focus on virus-story instead of His-Story. That is what happens when we live by sight rather than by faith. We forget what God has done and miss out on the blessing of seeing how He continues to work.
Fortunately, and not soon enough, the Covid-19 virus will fade as have the Spanish, Russian, Swine and any other form of the flu. God will continue to show Himself faithful as He works through all things – including viruses – to bring Himself glory and to ultimately establish His eternal kingdom as the end of the book of Revelation clearly teaches. On that last day, we will not talk about the story of any virus or any earthly thing. We will sing praise to our all-mighty God who has told us and shown us His Story.
Pastor Gillikin