Since the election of the commander in chief of the United States of America things have heated up. Seems like there are protests that turn violent every week now. There is much division between so many different groups that it’s hard to keep up with. If I could describe, with one word, the times in which we live and are about to head into, I think it would be fair to say chaos.
Chaos is a very interesting word and you can actually find it right in the beginning of the Scriptures. In Genesis 1:2 we see that the earth was formless and void. There is our word for chaos. In Hebrew it is bohu which means emptiness due to a lack of order.
Designating order to creation, Elohim establishes purpose. He uses his Word to bring about this order and purpose. An absence of His Word produces disfunction, disorder, and chaos.
Let us fast forward to today. If you turn on the television or spend time on anti-social media sites like Fakebook a.k.a Facebook and Twitter, it is very easy to get caught up in the propaganda of the right and left news outlets. Many of these guys are there to make a profit. “Reporting” the news has turned into pushing a narrative and agenda that stirs people into emotional frenzies rather than informing and allowing people to formulate their own opinions.
Protests and rallies are springing up all around the world and it seems to get more chaotic as times passes. I actually don’t think this is a negative phenomenon happening. I was recently talking with one of the guys that fishes with us in Alaska about religion, life, and politics. He was very worked up about the current state of our nation and the world. I understand why! I’m pretty sure you and I have experienced several “worked up” moments in our life times.
After listening to my friend, I started to take away a different perspective. What if the current chaos we are seeing in protests and civil unrest is actually being allowed? What if the Creator of the Universe is using this to provoke His children? Let me explain what I mean by provoke.
When you look at Creation, you actually see order coming out of chaos. Even the chaos had a role or purpose to play in the plan of the Almighty. What if the current “chaos” we are seeing in our society is an effort by the Creator to provoke His people to righteousness? What if in this time in history we are in another cycle of decline that will eventually lead us to another world war and major destruction? I’m sure you probably have a “what if” scenario also.
What if the Creator is allowing provocateurs to get you and I to move from just talking about our faith to actually living it? What if the evil that is promoted as good today is necessary to provoke us to righteousness? What if the Creator is using all of these “chaotic” things in order to move us from talking a good game to having to participate in the game?
I think there are several examples throughout Scripture where we can see this. After the fall of mankind one of the curses given by the Creator was Eve’s desire to rule over her husband (Gen. 3:16). Since Adam was asleep at the wheel, the Creator in His wisdom and knowledge gives Him a tool that will now provoke him to stay own his toes!
The children of Israel grow complacent in Egypt and the Creator gives them a provocateur (Pharaoh) who didn’t know Joseph. The Egyptian slavery provokes a people to leave and start their journey that eventually led to a generation entering the Promised Land and glorifying the Creator of the Universe to those around them. There was that big fish that swallowed Jonah and provoked him to rethink the whole Nineveh mission. There was that big guy that prodded a King and an entire nation. This led to a little bitty boy becoming one of the biggest social justice warriors of all times. David didn’t get on Twitter and Fakebook to hashtag #notonemoreinsult. He actually had to walk the talk!!! There were the religious provocateurs during Y’shua’s day called Pharisees and Sadducees.
My point is this. What if the news cycle and all the chaos in the world at this current time has been orchestrated by the Creator in order to provoke you and I to bear fruit? I’ve been saying something for a long time now. If our desire is to change the negativity and chaos in our society, we have to make a concerted effort to demonstrate order and purpose. The way we accomplish that is walking out our calling with those around us.
Fakebook and Twitter are great tools in our current digital age but in the trenches is where the greatest work is done on the grass roots level. So if the “times” are causing you lots of stress, why not take a moment to evaluate how you can bring order to the chaos around you? Blessings and shalom.
