June 1, 2021
Why a Renewal of Our Dying World?
The Problem
Do you see depression and sadness everywhere you turn? Whether from family death and fear of illness, the toll of remaining solitary and indoors for over a year, or deeper roots that stem from far beyond any 2020 pain... whether from abortion, contraception, human trafficking, or fear of your business being sued... whether from churches closing their doors, sacraments taken away from the faithful, or constant growing scandal within our hierarchy...
These, and many others, are real and ever present sorrows, and they lead us to question, ‘what if...?’
What if the ones I love die from illness?
What if I act uncharitably?
What if the world turns into a living hell?
What if the Catholic church falls apart?
What if I can no longer gain access to Christ?
And for creators, Satan is able to twist those ‘what if’s’ into even more specific lies...
What if my talents aren’t something others can appreciate?
What if my gifts aren’t enough to save the world?
What if no one buys the things I make?
What if I can’t pierce the darkness with my light?
When we live in ‘what if’s,’ we live in doubt. When we live in doubt, we live in inaction. When we live in inaction, we do not live at all.
The Solution
Turn those ‘what if’s’ into ‘I wonder how’s’...
When we wonder how, we change doubt into awe; we open the door in the windows of our souls for God’s solutions to flood in.
When we wonder how, we make room for miracles.
This was the difference between Zachariah and Mary. If you doubt, turn to the opening chapters of Luke’s Gospel. When Gabriel proclaimed the good news, Mary asked how, and Zachariah asked ‘Are you crazy?’
We all know what happened to each of them.
I wonder how God will provide
I wonder how I can be charitable
I wonder how God will save the world
I wonder how God will save the Church
I wonder how Christ will make himself available to me
Do you see??? The light these questions bring! It is empowering, because we are no longer relying on our own strength, our own understanding. As James admonishes in the first chapter of his Letter, we are immersing ourselves in the strength of God’s solutions.
For artists, ask these questions instead when you become plagued with ‘What if’s’:
I wonder how my talents can serve others
I wonder how my gifts will contribute to the salvation of the world
I wonder how the Lord will reveal to me my audience and market
I wonder how my work will pierce the darkness with light
The solution is Christ. The solution is trusting that he gave us talents, gifts, and creativity for a reason, and it is not for us to question the gift, but rather, how we use it. Not whether we should, but how we should.
We are created to believe that God has already saved the world. We are created to hope for His solutions. We are created to contribute our gifts to the world.
We are created with three little words in mind: Faith, Hope, and Love.