Have you seen the lightning lately?!
I’ve started going for walks in the evening with the friends I live with and the last few nights we have been seeing these incredible lightning displays. Last night we decided to stop and enjoy it!
We sat on a park bench and watched the clouds light up with mysterious streaks of lightning somewhere far behind them. We ooohed and aaahed as if we were watching a fireworks show and, honestly, it sort of felt like we were getting backstage passes! There were no other people around, and knowing that everyone else was inside somehow made the lightning show feel even more special! Like we were witnessing this amazing event that others didn’t know about yet…
The sky had been clear above us and we made it home long before it rained. Eventually the thunder began to rumble and the rain absolutely downpoured! Soon the thunder was so loud is sounded like it was going to break in to the house! Little by little the thunder began to subside as well and all that was left was plain old rain.
Clearly, I am no meteorologist.
But even I could tell you that the lightning we were enjoying in the park was not only hauntingly beautiful, it was evidence of a storm rolling in. It was a precursor to the big event which was still about 30 minutes out.
All throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus teaching about watchfulness and attentiveness to what is going on beneath the surface; about the end when the Son of Man returns again. He calls out the Pharisees and Sadducees, in Matthew 16, for being able to read the weather and interpret what was going to happen based on the colour of the sky, and yet they were still oblivious to the ministry of Christ; asking Jesus to perform miracles for them so that they could believe.
Similarly, he called out the crowds in Luke 12:54-56:
“He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”
And finally, in Matthew 24 he speaks to his disciples at length about the reality of what is to come. About the times of trial and testing that they will endure and about what it will be like when it’s time for him to come back.
Jesus did not teach these things to freak out his disciples or to instill fear in the people around him. Knowing the heart of God requires us to listen for love and mercy in what Jesus was speaking; love does not dishonour others. Or scare them unnecessarily!
He was preparing the people of that time to live out the new Kingdom of his Father. He was graciously revealing that there will be times of trouble ahead so that they could be ready for it when the times were upon them.
And last night as I waited expectantly for the next flash of lightning to brighten up the storm clouds, I sensed the Spirit reminding me to be aware of the season we find ourselves in now.
Canada is on the brink of another federal election and the lightning can be seen in the distance. A storm is rolling in and before we know it things are going to be loud and stormy. We know that there is a time of turbulence ahead and we can be prepared – we ought to be ready.
Last night when the thunder rumbled and the sound of sheets of rain hitting the ground filled the air, I wasn’t surprised. Did I jump when the thunder crashed extra loud? Definitely. But I wasn’t afraid of a monster barging into my house because I knew what was actually going on. And more than anything, I knew that it would pass.
This morning the grass was greener and the patio stones were already starting to dry. The plants I had moved around last night in the rain to make sure they didn’t get knocked down by the wind were totally fine and looking fresher than they had the day before.
The storms will come and the rain will fall with fury; the lightning will flash across the sky and remind us that thunder is close behind… and eventually, the sun will shine again. The humidity will lift and we will all breathe easier again.
So too will it be in Canada.
We do not need to be afraid of what is to come. Instead we can prepare and take action by reading party platforms and voting! We can pray with confidence knowing that our prayers do not fall on deaf ears.
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Thank you for the ways you prepare us for the storms of life, Lord.
Thank you for truly being a Good Father and for weathering the storms with us.
Holy Spirit, we ask that we might sense your presence closer than ever, again, in this time of political turbulence. Thank you for never growing tired or weary of drawing near to us!
God we pray for Canada and ask that regardless of how this election unfolds, that we would be marked by unity and not division. That we would be marked as people who choose to show honour to those who are different than us and that we would be known for our love.
We know that it’s impossible to do this on our own and we ask for your strength and guidance in the midst of it all.
We love you so much Lord and need to be reminded of your promises to strengthen, help and uphold us.
Amen.