Ramblings on a New Decade

It's 2010 and- despite all technicalities- every major media outlet has made their best attempt at putting a nice bow on the first decade of the new millennium. I am a sports fan who watches a lot of ESPN so of course I have heard my share of how this was the decade of the Red Sox, Patriots, and (especially recently) Tiger Woods. However, we all know that as far as sports goes it was the decade of Albert Pujols.

All of that aside, it isn't the greatness of Albert Pujols that I want write about because I doubt knowing who the best athlete of the decade was will give you much help in your walk with Christ (though it should be noted that Albert loves Jesus). Personally, I don't think there is much question as to what we will remember most about this decade. I can think of four things and one still trumps the rest. The hated two-term Presidency of George W. Bush, the first minority President (Barack Obama), Napoleon Dynamite, and the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.

I can understand why many people will remember Obama's election more. My reason for not giving it more attention is that I am opposed to his political views in almost every area, I am not myself a minority and don't fully understand the magnitude of finally having a President who looks somewhat like me (they always did), and I was born after the major civil rights wars ended. When President Obama was elected I was watching the movie Get Smart, the event didn't take me by surprise at all. However, 9/11 was beyond my comprehension.

It is 9/11 that I want to talk about because it is the most important landmark event of my lifetime (the Berlin Wall fell when I was 2). I grew up being told that I should appreciate the freedom of living in the United States. I can remember as a child pondering the fact that I had no idea what that meant. Did other kids have to wear chains or something? Do kids in China only get one Christmas present and nothing on their birthday? I simply had no idea. It wasn't until 2001 that I began to grasp the value of freedom in this world.

We are always caught by surprise when these things happen. Nobody expected JFK to be assasinated (ok, almost nobody), the Oklahoma City bombing, or the tsunami of 2004. These things always shake our worldview, turn our thoughts to divine purpose, and sometimes they even change the way a nation operates. But sometimes you have to wonder just how long we can keep this up. I mean, we can prepare for shoe bombers on airplanes but there is no way we can prepare for the recent underwear bomber and maintain freedom.

The decade of 9/11 should tell us that there is no guarantee that the United States project will continue until 2020, especially not as it always has. We should remember that God is sovereign over nations, holding the heart of the king in his hand (Proverbs 21:1) and when he decides America's time is over it will be over.

9/11 should also remind us of God's sovereignty over evil and suffering. Events like this should challenge your view of God. It is right for people to ask the question, "if God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and truly loves people, why would He allow this to happen?" For this reason many wrongfully reject God. Others try to rescue Him from this question by attributing to Him a respect for free-will. Instead we should remember the words of Jesus when asked about suffering from both natural and sinful events:

"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:2-3)

There is no need to rescue God from this problem. What God permits to happen in this world is (at the very least) a passive decree for it to happen with a purpose. You might say that purpose is to maintain free will but verses such as Genesis 50:20 (which summarizes God's purpose in the story of Joseph), Acts 4:27-28 (which summarizes God's purpose in the death of Christ), and Romans 8:28 (which summarizes God's purpose in everything) tell us that His hand is actively moving in history.

Who knows what this new decade will bring. At the start of the last one chances are you knew all the words to at least one Britney Spears song and now you're probably a little surprised she is still alive. At the start of the last one Bill Clinton was considered the "first black President" but now we know what it is like to have a real one. But one thing hasn't changed, Jesus Christ is still the savior of the world.

Perhaps this will be the decade in which the U.S. crumbles (I cringe to think of that), or the MP3/Ipod is replaced by something we haven't even thought of yet. It will most certainly be a huge decade for scientific advacement as we continue to reap the benefits of the Human Genome Project, but what specifically? A cure for cancer? A new theory that replaces evolution to explain human origins (it won't be biblical creationism)?

For some it will be the decade in which God saves them. Perhaps it will be the decade in which Christ returns. Let us pray to that end and expect the unexpected.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen