Rumours
We accidentally called some friends on messenger on the weekend – amazing what can occur when your fingers touch the wrong part of the screen. These friends are from another church, among our many topics of the day was the lack of yeast, but there was also discussion on economics, theology, faith and rumours.
You may have heard of some of them, but one in particular had me thinking. It is the rumour that COVID-19 is part of a master plan by the Illuminati to set up a one world government, that our Prime Minister Jacinda Adern is part of it because she asked us to love the Muslims who were attacked March 15, 2019.
If these ideas are in their church group in Christchurch, it is possible some of you may have been exposed to the same thinking. It would be good to remember that back in January the World Health Organisation’s (WHO, not the band!) head of health emergencies Dr. Mike Ryan said, ‘We need a vaccine again misinformation’.
In Jeremiah 51:46 we read, ‘Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumours are heard in the land; one rumour comes this year, another the next, rumours of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.’
And Jesus says in Matthew 24:6 (and in Mark 13) ‘You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.’
God does not call us to fear, he calls us to trust neither does he call us to go for whatever rumours are going round.
Remember last year March 15th, our world was changed by a lone gunman, a terrorist – why when the PM called for love should we not love? We are not called by the PM to love, we are called by God to love – and not just to love those we like, but to love our enemies (Matt 5:43-48). It is not wrong to love Muslims. Note, how quickly xenophobia grips people, now there are racist attacks in NZ on people of Chinese origin. In Australia, young people spat on a young Asian woman working in a mall. We are called to love people not marginalise them, and we are called to love all people not just those who fit into our idea of who should be in our tribe.
And so, when the PM calls on us to be kind – what do you think? Is she conditioning us for something else? Is she preparing the way for another conspiracy to rise? Perhaps you might think that is part of the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), I want those attributes to be self-evident in my life in all the ways I interact with others.
Why not spend some time reading those 2 verses and thinking about which attribute is most evident in your life, and which one you need to ask God to lead you into a better understanding of how to express that to others. Lastly, at this time with lots of time on your hands be wise about what you listen to and read.
God bless, Warren
1st April 2020
Previous Blogs
The News... : Warren, 1st July 2020Shhh - Listen : Warren, 19th June 2020
Relief? : Warren, 11th June 2020
On the Cusp : Warren, 4th June 2020
In the Beginning... : Warren, 28th May 2020
Seasons : Warren, 21st May 2020
Aroha|Love : Warren, 14th May 2020
How is your mind? : Warren, 7th May 2020
On the Level : Warren, 1st May 2020
Signs : Warren, 24th April 2020
Whakaaria Mai : Warren, 15th April 2020
Essential Worker or Not? : Warren, 8th April 2020
Rumours : Warren, 1st April March 2020
What Would Jesus Do? : Warren, 25 March 2020