The NewesLetter Vol 29 no. 2 ; October 2025
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Reflections: Facing Troubled Times
Reflections: Facing Troubled Times
I have had lots of conversations lately with people who are experiencing the consequences of what I am calling “troubled times.” No matter our political persuasion, we all feel the weight of judgments and misunderstandings, and the violence and suffering that has emerged. Some are able to detach from the troubles, but many are too close or too sensitive and it just hurts. How do we go on? How do we maintain our faith in the middle of all this without becoming either poisoned, crushed, or sidelined by the culture of hate and the chaos of it all? Where is the pathway to appropriate Christian life in the midst of these troubled times? I offer a few suggestions:
1. Cherish the little stories. Thanks to the generosity of my sister, I have had times where I regularly read the Christian Science Monitor. One of the gifts of this magazine is their way of telling stories of little acts of kindness all over the world. In the midst of this or that crisis, people often step in and do marvelous things for others or for the earth itself. It is easy for us to forget the simple testimonies of love and grace under the avalanche of propaganda and vitriol. So my encouragement is to look for these lovely little stories as you go through life. Note them, remember them, tell them to others.
2. Rehearse the big story. We are Christians. Remember this! We know trouble, division, suffering, needless violence. Jesus experienced every one of these and told us that we would experience them as well. The Church has experienced horrific times of lies, division, persecution, and pain. We Christians believe that God is bigger than all of this, and we are grasping for a false gospel when we do not acknowledge the centrality of division and suffering in Christianity. We Christians celebrate the resurrection and look forward to the time when God will make all things right. As Julian of Norwich said over seven hundred years ago in the midst of horrible plagues, “All will be well and all manner of things will be well.” Similarly nineteenth-century slaves learned to praise God, proclaiming that “better times-a-comin.” Notice the little stories. Rehearse the big story.
3. Learn to lament. “How long, Oh Lord! How long!” This is the cry of many Psalms (for example, Psalm 6, 13, 79; Habakkuk 1). Any Old Testament scholar will tell you that lament is the primary theme of the Psalms. It is the prayer-book of God’s people. Furthermore, I will go so far to say that Lament is also a form of praise. When we deeply identify with the Source of our lament, we are sharing the heart of God, who also cries out and cares for the troubles of the world. I think of the God of Exodus who does not ignore the prayers of Israel, but stores them and after hundreds of years delivers them from slavery. Our prayers, or laments, are incense that rises to God. Indeed, we would not lament but for our sense of the value of something Better. This is unconscious praise for God. Sometimes it may be hard to sing “worship songs” that appear to ignore the pain of our world. So let us create worship services where sincere lament is raised up to the heavens in the midst of troubled times, just like the cries of old. Let us realize that those praise songs themselves are a recognition that God is both in and beyond the pain. Go deeply both into and through lament.
4. Discern appropriate action. It is so easy to get “tharned” under the weight of the guilt of not being able to do enough when so many suffer. And yes, these are times that call for action. Believe me, I know this first hand in my work with unhoused folks here in Montrose. Ask my wife. I frequently flagellate myself for not giving more, doing more, answering the next call for help, and on and on. But this is where the enemy wins. The point is not just to “do more.” The point is to follow Jesus in contemplation, community, and action. And following Jesus is an act of discernment. Knee-jerk or guilt-induced reactions lead to burn-out. Prayerful and well-discerned commitments lead to blessing. What is the most appropriate thing for me given my circumstances and abilities at this time? I have written an entire book on this topic for communities of believers (Deep and Wide: Reflections on Socio-Political Engagement, Monasticism(s) and the Christian Life). I urge you: don’t just give up because its too big; don’t just burn up trying to do everything. Talk to Jesus and others and find out what might be the best gift you can offer right here and right now. Oh, and by the way, also carefully discern your media consumption. A bad diet of too much or the wrong “foods” ruin our health. Discern your media diet well.
5. Finally, realize the complexity and simplicity of it all. There is no solution to homelessness. The poor we have with us always and we should always be generous (Deuteronomy 15:11). There are structural, circumstantial, and personal forces involved in all social problems. Face it. You are not going to solve things, OK? But this very fact can be so freeing! It means that every simple, single act is a solution. When we give mittens to a person sleeping on the street, we may be “enabling” them, Right? Perhaps. Its complex. But we also may be enabling that person to experience warmth and love just one more time, and some day they may feel valued enough to make a good choice for themselves. Jesus simply asks us to to feed, to house, to clothe, to welcome. Every act of love is a complex, simple solution.
These are troubled times. How do we make it through? We cherish the little stories. We rehearse the big story. We learn to lament. We discern appropriate action. And we realize the complexity and simplicity of it all. These are only a few suggestions, but I hope they can give you some encouragement in the midst of your own troubles.
May the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with you all.
By God’s Grace,
Evan B. Howard