"Whether it's mending a
failing company, fighting corruption, tackling disease, or rebuilding a
marriage, the hardest problems defy just add-water remedies. Indeed,
slapping on a Band-Aid when surgery is needed usually just makes things
worse." -Carl Honore - Canadian Journalist
I'm a solution-oriented person. I don't like to put Band-Aids on heart surgery. That
just leaves space for greater problems to resurface. Are we willing to
see beyond the superficial and get to the root of knotty problems and
address them the hard way? Sometimes counseling is necessary when we're blocked and can't go deep enough or haven't had sufficient life experience to come to peace with our past or handle our present.
Most of us didn't grow up learning how to handle finances. It's hard to
go cold turkey on spending or incorporate the discipline necessary to
avoid debt, or save enough for emergencies. We haven't learned how to do the hard work now to not suffer consequences later. Yes, as a pastor, I want to help people; to give them enough food for days/weeks. Some don't comprehend that I really want to offer folks a way out of negative cycles, if people are willing to take it. That's why our approaches address root causes and not just symptoms.
The next waves of the effects of this pandemic, as we begin to re-enter society, are going to be in areas like personal finance/economics, devastated relationships, educational disparities, and mental-health (grief,
depression, PTSD, anxiety, fear). Some will try to seize this moment of crisis and use it for their own gain. The virus might surge again. The recovery may take years for some. We'll need wisdom, patience, and a plan. In cities across the Nation, pastoral leaders will not just be focused on their churches, but their Cities. Like Jeremiah, we'll, "seek
the peace (prosperity/welfare) of the city where I have caused you to
be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace
you will have peace." (Jer. 29:7) Let's pray for more than Band-Aids; let's ask God for solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment