The school year is well under way so now we enter the season of strikes. No school Tuesday last week; no school next Tuesday - the teachers in all the school systems (public and private) are united in expressing their ras-le-bol (being absolutely fed up!) Budgets have to be rationalised. People have to accept more responsibility and pressure to be up to scratch. Jobs are harder to get, salaries don't seem sufficient any more, political scandals keep appearing in the news and several high profile politicians are in courts, even the No.2 policeman from Lyon, known and admired for his efficacity in fighting organised crime, has been arrested for colluding with the enemy!
Ads on TV promise happiness and well-being; programmes and series prove that the good guy always wins and good triumphs over evil, even if certain methods are actually illegal; love and romance can be experienced in many different contexts, but not necessarily with the same person for the rest of his/her natural life ....
Who can you trust ?? Who is believable any more ??
When under attack, people tend to close ranks and will trust only their nearest and dearest. In Europe in any case, family loyalty is priority. Yet when child or sexual abuse or violence in any form is revealed, who can you trust ? Who can you believe ?
This closing of the ranks affects the life of the church as well. Instead of moving out to those who need to know about Jesus, the Christians close rank and go into survival mode. The battle lines were drawn long ago but the line has been receding constantly over the last century.
OK, I'm feeling discouraged. Ras-le-bol. Several things we are trying to get off the ground are not (getting off the ground). Don't feel as if enough share a vision, any vision, our vision. Feel like we have to offer some kind of personal service to each and every one in order to make any headway at all - and the most frustrating of all is that this is just as true for the Christians as for the people we should be reaching out to.
So where do we go from here ? How can I refocus ? I feel like turning into a passive element and just letting go of certain projects, getting on with some sewing projects and reading things I feel like reading. Not making an effort any more - not justifying my missionary support by reporting back, mobilising prayer support, keeping in touch .....not trying to build relationships or encouraging others to disciple or training and preparing our youth.
I need to refocus - not on me and my discouragement, but on God and what He wants. Accept His timing, learn from His patience, calm down and wait for my opportunity instead of trying to provoke occasions. Stop pushing or trying to convince and let God speak to hearts and minds.
Please pray for us in our pastoral role. We need your support.
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