Posted 231 days ago
Following God in Turbulent Times
Christine Sine
It is hard to believe that we have moved into a new year and a new decade. And what will this new year hold, we are all asking? Some of us are optimistic that the turbulent times are over and done with. Most of us, however, are 
beginning this new decade with a certain degree of fear and trepidation. We have endured a rather bumpy roller coaster ride not just in 2009 but throughout the entire decade.
Economic collapse has for many been the last of a string of disasters. The horrors of 9/11, war in Iraq and Afghanistan, tsunamis that killed hundreds of thousands, devastating bushfires in Australia, and even more life-taking devastation from hurricanes hitting New Orleans and Myanmar have undermined our confidence in the future and raised our fears to panic level. Even more disturbing are the slow motion trends that will continue to devastate lives throughout the coming decades – climate change and the growing disparity between rich and poor.
How can we imagine new ways to respond so that the devastations of our physical world do not undermine our faith or destroy our ability to trust in our loving, caring God whose heart aches for all of us in the midst of our anguish? How can we respond without allowing compassion fatigue to form walls of indifference between us and those who suffer? And how can we respond in a way that strengthens our faith and draws us closer to God?
In Seasons of Celebration, Thomas Merton talks about how God’s people were called out of the slavery of Egypt and into the desert so that they could be educated into freedom. It was in the desert, not in the promised land, that they learned to strip away the false securities that distracted them from a whole-hearted commitment to God.
Similarly for us, it is in the places of trial and struggle that we learn to understand what it really means to follow Christ. It is in the desert and not in the abundance of the promised land that we learn to look beyond ourselves and really grapple with what it means to love God and neighbour as ourselves – the very commands that are at the heart of the gospel. It is in the wilderness places that we learn to care for each other and become concerned about protecting the weak and vulnerable. It also in the desert that we confront our own places of vulnerability and discover how God can transform them into new strengths.
Following Christ into tomorrow’s world is a challenging commitment. It will require us to grow deep roots that anchor our souls and provide stable foundations that withstand the buffeting of wind and storm. My own spiritual roots have grown deep over the last decade as like many others, I have delved into ancient spiritual practices that sustained followers of Christ throughout the uncertain and turbulent times of past eras. The resurgence of interest in ancient practices such as a rule of life, daily offices, and the liturgical calendar are heart-warming signs that convince me God is alive and very active in our rapidly changing world.
Developing a rule of life is one valuable practice I have engaged in that has provided a deep stability for my life. It has enabled me to establish a rhythm of prayer that entwines through all of life and has encouraged me to live into God’s new world of wholeness and abundance by developing a balance between work and rest, solitude and community, feasting and fasting. This has been made possible by my involvement in the Mustard Seed House community, where we participate in morning and evening prayers and community meals.
Another practice that has strengthened my faith is the use of centering prayer. This practice begins with a time of silence focusing on the presence of God and reminding us that Christ is the center of all we are and do. Reciting a short bible verse or phrase like “God is love” can help block out distractions and quiet our hearts. In this quiet place we meditate on God and are able to pray in response to God’s great love. As a result of this type of meditation I began writing prayers that often flow out of my attempts to grapple with the challenges of our turbulent world. Reciting these prayers on a regular basis calms my soul and frees my imagination to develop creative responses to the challenges I face.
More than anything, what has drawn me closer to God in the last few years is the recognition that life is a journey in which every experience entered into, and every activity undertaken, is an opportunity to both represent and meet Christ. Looking for God’s love in a mother’s embrace of her child or in the compassionate sharing of resources with the poor is a breathtaking way to both unveil and respond to the story of God.
We live in a changing world and I don’t think the coming decade will be any easier than the last one has been. However, I do believe that it can be a time in which God’s people shine as beacon’s of light encouraging all the world’s people to journey towards a society that reflects something of God’s eternal world of peace, harmony and wholeness. A society in which all the world’s people share abundantly from the riches of God’s storehouse. A society in which there is mutual care and concern once more as there was at the beginning of God’s creation.
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