 |
| Photo Credit: Borak Kostak, pexels.com |
My mom used to tell me, “If there is a problem, there is a solution. If there is no solution, then it isn’t a
problem.” I don’t know if she knew she was
quoting the Dalai Lama. I’m sure she
just heard it from someone else. What
this quote means is that if there is no solution, then whatever we are calling a
problem isn’t a problem, and we should accept it.
Problems seem to abound in this world- financial inequality, social injustice, conflict, wars, safety, climate change. These are just a few of them. I am only writing for five minutes so I will leave climate change alone. In my view, these problems can all be summed up to one word: SIN. We don’t have to look outside out of our corner of the world to see social injustice and financial inequality, conflict within one’s own home, conflict a neighbor or classmate. “All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way,” (Isaiah 53:6). I am not saying this to be that angry preacher woman standing on a street corner. I am saying this out of love because I have this sin problem too. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). It seems overwhelming.
Some seek out to actively fix these problems by organizing, protesting, and even actually doing whatever work they need to do to do their part. I applaud these passionate men and women. There are those who shrug their shoulders and accept things the way they are, because they have their own problems to worry about. What people fail to realize is that there is already a solution to these problems.
Isaiah 53:6, in its entirety, says, “All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (emphasis mine). And the verses following Romans 3:23 tells us:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v. 23), and ALL are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood- to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness,” (verses 24-25).
I have gone past my five minutes (OOPS) so I will end with this: I know that these WORDS from the Bible will not fix the world's problems NOW. They won’t fix YOUR problem NOW, either. BUT START WITH JESUS… and then see how it all unfolds.
No comments