Pastor's Blog: "Serenity Now More than Ever"
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I was introduced in seminary to the writings of Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian, whose views on the systemic nature of human fallibility were detailed in his classic work, Moral Man and Immoral Society. Niebuhr’s point is that sin is embedded in all structures of society so that only God’s grace in Jesus can bring about any hope of redemption, both individually and corporately. How then might we facilitate such redemption in our everyday experience? Niebuhr’s answer was his famous “Serenity Prayer.”
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
I’ve thought about Niebuhr’s challenge a good bit in recent days as we continue to struggle with the various types of frustration we’ve experienced from these last months of COVID. Like many of you, my patience is hanging by a thread, and some days it seems like my faith is hanging the same way. But Niebuhr’s prayer offers a path forward if only we will be willing to take it.
The first step is acceptance. What has bothered me most about COVID is how so much of it is out of my control. Unlike most challenges, this one is unseen and elusive. I can’t wrap anything around it. When I think I have it figured out, I realize I don’t. Not even the experts do. So, I’ve had to learn how to come to peace with the notion that solving this challenge is going to take some time.
But such acceptance doesn’t mean I have to throw up my hands and surrender to the virus. It just means that I have to lose the fantasy of being able to control it in its entirety, which leads to the second step, understanding what I can control in the meantime. Most things about COVID may be out of my control, but not everything. I can choose to follow the advice of medical experts. I can choose to respect others by engaging in responsible behaviors. I can choose to protect myself by not engaging in unduly risky behaviors. I can choose to act like a follower of Jesus through it all. The more I think about it, the more I realize there is actually a good bit that I can control, most of which has to do with my controlling me.
Controlling me is where the wisdom part must kick in. Since “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” I do best when, as Niebuhr reminds me, I trust in God “to make all things right.” Trusting God is not a crutch or a dodge; it’s not an abrogation of my responsibility. It’s more a recognition that the challenge before me is not one I have to face by myself. God is with me to empower and embolden me for all that lies ahead. And if I trust my way to Him, God will see me through.
That prayer is helping me now more than ever, as I seek in the face of all the immorality without and within to act more morally. I remind you of it as well so that in the face of whatever strife or struggle may be getting the best of you in this present moment, with God’s help you might find His serenity in the midst of it too.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).