Christ, My Lord and My Saviour, and My Hope

I rarely watch television any longer.  One thing I refuse to watch, quite frankly, is the news.  Whether it is the local news or the network news, I have gotten out of the habit of watching the news for quite a while now.  Why is this, you might ask?  It is because I get depressed watching the news.  The local news is filled with shootings and crime and accidents and it is just depressing to see all of this negative stuff.  The network news is again filled with depressing things as stated above but the network news is even worse because it is agenda-driven and the media only shows you news items they want you to watch.  Or they slant stories a certain way in which they show the point they want you to see.  It is the same with the radio . . . . or the internet . . . or even with Facebook.  Everywhere you look, there is the potential to be flooded with negativity and negative stories.

Now, why do I point all of this out?  I do it because I think people do look at all of the negativity being thrown at them all the time and it does have an impact on people.  Look, I know just as well as anyone else how easy it is to be all caught up in negative stories and doom and gloom predictions that seem to come from every corner.  But the bottom line is that constantly reading all of this, . . .  constantly listening to all of this (either on the TV or on the radio),   . . . .  constantly looking at controversy after controversy on Facebook or other social media . . . . all of this barrage of negativity takes a toll on people eventually.

Death and war and crime and controversy have been with us basically as long as the world has been around.  And it will continue to exist in this old world of ours.  But for the dedicated, committed Christian, we are reminded that God is bigger than all the negativity that the world has to offer.  In the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy, we hear the following:  "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord Thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)  And then two verses later:  "And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:8)  Now, more than ever, Christians should plant these words of Scripture in their hearts, in their minds, in their souls.  Christ will be victorious and His Kingdom will prevail.  Christians are called to be hopeful and their mission is to spread this hope throughout the world.  The Church does this by giving testimony of Christ.  We can all give our testimony on what Christ means to us.  Christ is my Lord and Saviour.  He is the One Who died for me on the Cross.  He continues to be with me in my everyday struggles . . . . to guide me . . . to strengthen me . . . to lead me.   I need to let those around me know this fact and I can let people know by the words that come out of my mouth, by the actions I take on a daily basis, and the love I show towards others around me.

It is so easy to look at everything that is happening today and get depressed by the senseless murder, the hatred, the anger, etc.  And yet Christ is bigger than any of these things.  Christ endured hardship during His time on earth.  Christ endured the hatred and envy of others while He walked among us.  Christ endured grief, sorrow, pain, and death.  As human beings, we will endure all of these things as well during our lifetime.  But Christ overcame all of these things and rose to a new life!  He overcame death.  He overcame the world.  He overcame the bitterness and hatred of those who sought to destroy Him.  And with Our Lord's help, through His dying on the Cross, we will overcome all of these things as well one day.  This is what we should be focusing on rather than focusing on the latest controversy or evil that the world has to offer.   Our Lord's words have more meaning for our present age than ever before: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I given unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your hear be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (St. John 14:27)  Let Christ be your guiding light.  Let Him rule your life.  Do not conform to the dictates of the world.  Follow Our Blessed Saviour and always look towards Him in hope.