St. Patrick’s Day Faith

March 17, 2020

 Fifty years ago, I was able to speak quite easily about the peace Jesus gives those who believe. Forty-five years ago, it was not nearly so easy. Fifty years ago, I was about to be married, was serving a small EUB church in Alma, New York, a tiny hamlet nestled in the hills of Allegany County. If I stood at my back door, I could almost throw a stone across the Pennsylvania state line. The church, a general store, a single-bay fire station, and a couple dozen houses—that was Alma. It was as idyllic as one could imagine. Five years later, we lived in the Humbolt Park area of Chicago, at the intersection of the ethnic white, Black, and Hispanic neighborhoods. Sirens were an hourly occurrance; it was necessary to lock the door even when we were in our tiny back yard. Suddenly, it wasn’t as easy to speak of the “peace that passes understanding.”

The question kept nagging in the back of my mind—was the peace I had felt in Alma the work of the Holy Spirit, or simply the pleasant pastoral surroundings there? I’ve never since spoken easily about the peace of God.

The news has been filled with COVID-19, the coronavirus. It’s non-stop, and as such, it’s hard to know how much of it is media hype and how much is real. This much I know: people are in a panic. The store shelves are empty of toilet paper and prepared meals. In one breath, officials tell us to stay calm, and in the next, they tell us they are shutting down schools, restaurants, bars, casinos, and movie theaters, with more restrictions threatened. The stock market has plunged, workers in these professions are suddenly without income, and we are told it’s only going to get worse. 

Preachers talk a lot about faith; I’ve done so for years. It’s easy to talk about when your income is regular, the store shelves are full, and life is pretty predictable. Suddenly, we have the opportunity to actually practice what we preach. As things have developed recently, I’ve been taken back to those Alma and Chicago days when I had to sort out that business of the peace of God, only now it is in the area of faith. Am I really trusting God? I feel that twinge of concern which makes me evaluate my own faith; if I look around me, there’s not much to give hope. It’s only when I center myself in the promises of God and in Jesus Christ that I am calm.

Ephesians 1:20-21 tells us that Jesus is ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father. This is biblical language for his being in a place of authority. In the second chapter, Paul reminds us that we are “in” Christ, seated with him. This coronavirus is no surprise to God. He wasn’t blindsided by it, and is not in a panic over it. Neither should we be. 

For nearly fifteen years, Park church has held a St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage dinner. The money raised helps support our annual mission trip to West Virginia. In response to the directive to minimize gatherings, for the first time, we offered only take-outs. I wondered how people would respond. I figured that by not coming for a sit down meal, this year’s profit would take somewhat of a dip. Instead, we served more meals than ever before, with the added bonus of not having to wash dishes! God knew, and proved his faithfulness even here. If the Lord takes a bad situation and makes us come out even better than before, I can only imagine what he plans to do in the weeks ahead. It’s going to be different, but it’s also going to be good! As a bonus, we are being given the opportunity to stretch and demonstrate our faith as never before. I will sleep peacefully and thankfully tonight.