Convicted by Gloom

Which way should I walk - toward, or away from - the Light?

But in their gloom, Cleopas and the other disciple became “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke,” thereby preventing “their eyes from recognizing him.” Luke 24:13-35 (Magnificat, April 12, 2023)

So what is my excuse? If having a ‘gloomy’, otherwise known as ‘negative’ outlook can prevent me from recognizing Christ in my life - even when he is walking right beside me, then why in the world would I do so? I guess there are many reasons. First because in today’s day of constant news and technology - it is downright hard not to. Media technocrats have discovered that biologically we are made to be attracted to the negative - that’s how people kept themselves safe throughout time. See the negative, avoid the negative, protect yourself against the negative. Let’s face it; if you were dancing among the lilies and not watching out for the alligators - well, you wouldn’t be around for very long.

Then, of course, there is the fact that for some of us - our life has been full of a lot of negatives. As a result, we have been raised to watch out constantly for them. We are ‘always prepared’ to either flee or fight. It’s kind of hard to break out of that mode. And there are also those who just have a temperament a little on the low side - simply prone to be a bit ‘moody’. ‘Chicken Little’ is a famous old fairy tale for a reason - people who think ‘the sky is falling’ have been around a heck of a long time. Seeing the negative is pretty much ‘how they’re made’.

So I would guess that for most of us - seeking out the worse headlines of the day and ruminating on them over and over - is pretty normal. We get outraged over the latest thing; and keep tuning in for more. Which of course, since the media wants to keep customers, is not long in coming.

“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” Gosh, I wonder who said that before? Was it last week? It must be in a headline somewhere… Oh, wait, it was said over 2,000 years ago; by St. Paul when he wrote to the Romans! (Romans 7:24). Wow, I wonder if he was ever able to find a cure?

But wait, I think I might have found it in the very next verse: “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God…”.

Ok, Paul notes that he serves the law of God with his MIND. So how in the world did he do that then? How in the world can we do it now? Once again, Paul does not leave us hanging…

 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:5

And there we have it. It is a choice. If we believe in Christ, then we know, i.e. have knowledge, that he has conquered this world:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

It would appear then, that every headline, every news show, every commentary that proclaims that the world, as we know it, ‘‘is ending'“ - would be knowledge against the reality of God - that He has overcome it all… So, I guess the question is - why do we pay ANY ATTENTION AT ALL to all the negatives around us? There have always been negatives; there will always BE negatives. But we are not part of this world! Our ‘forever home’ is not here. We just have to keep reminding ourselves. We have to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Darn, there’s that word again… Obedient! That word hasn’t gotten any easier since Adam and Eve decided it did not apply to them either. Hmmm, when I am busy spinning my endless fantasies of woe - I never really considered that I was being disobedient! But aren’t I? I mean, I am a pretty vocal follower of Christ. People know that I believe in Him.

When I am ‘the voice of doom’ - how well am I showing that? If Jesus were here (and he is inside of every believer); would he spend much time worrying about the negatives? Well, let’s look at all the times in Scripture he bemoaned what the Romans were doing in the world with their immoral, hateful, oppressive actions that affected everyone. Wait…. he never even discussed it?! What the heck - didn’t he know how important it all was?

I guess not; because He knew that ultimately - it did not matter - He had overcome the world.

He wins. Jesus wins. Love WINS.

And I guess the only way that I can show that I actually believe that - is to take every thought captive to that reality. Even the headlines; even the ones that affect me in some way. Like Jesus, I can laugh at those things - as I walk back home to heaven. I can pray for those who are affected by them; because the ones making those headlines appear to be very broken people. But other than that - I can look at what JESUS is doing in the world - and joyfully proclaim that.

But I think that Jesus and the first disciples knew what they were doing. Because let’s face it - if you had the choice to sit next to ‘Susie Sunshine’ or ‘The Voice of Doom’ at the dinner party - who are you going to choose? When we meet a joyful person; a person unfazed by the latest bad news - it attracts us like a moth to a flame. It gives us HOPE. It makes us think “holy cow, they must HAVE something that I don’t have! What IS it? I need to hang around them to find out!”

Hmmm… I wonder how the Gospel spread so quickly…?

Hmmm… I wonder if among all these broken people in this broken world today - it needs to spread quickly again…?

And so, I thank God that this is a choice for obedience that I CAN make. Thank you, Lord. My prayer to you this day is to please keep me away from my ‘gloom’, because as I see happened with Cleopas and the other disciple - it will make me “slow of heart to believe”; and then Lord, it will actually “prevent my eyes from recognizing” you; and all that you are doing in this world… And that act of disobedience would, like Adam and Eve, lead me OUT of the garden that your bloody sacrifice reclaimed for us - and right back into this world ruled by satan. And oh! What “a miserable person” I would be then.`

I think I’ll choose Obedience - I think I’ll choose JOY!