Worry

Philippians 4:1-9

Last Sunday morning I woke up to the news that there had been a reported shooting at the local high school homecoming dance – but that it had been a false alarm. What actually happened was a kid got angry and slammed a table on the ground, someone thought it sounded like a gunshot and yelled out, “Gun!” Then all hell broke loose.

Calls flooded the 911 dispatchers, more than 50 police cars arrived at the school within minutes. But there was nothing there. No one had been hurt. No shots had been fired. There was no gun. Thanks be to God.

But it almost didn’t matter. People were really rattled. The conversation on social media centered on the dangers all around us, the need for tighter security, even though nothing had happened. It didn’t matter, because it got people started thinking about all the things that potentially could happen.

Things should have calmed down Sunday and returned to normal Monday. But instead, they intensified. Someone took to social media and suggested that students should stay home Monday for fear of a bomb threat. Fact: there had been no bomb threat. No matter, though; someone thought it was an idea worth tossing out there anyway.

And parents started checking in of social media, of course, saying it just wasn’t worth the risk of sending their kids to school. After all, the authorities might be trying to hide something. Maybe there actually was a gun at the school. And maybe there has been a bomb threat that they are hiding from us.

Attendance was down Monday by a significant amount.

This is worry, and what it will do to us sometimes reaches the point of absurdity. But it goes back much further than the Saturday night homecoming episode. We have been living in a state of fear for years; fear which is exacerbated by suspicion of others and fabricated news stories.

Where is the true, the honorable, the just and commendable? Where do we find those things that are excellent and worthy of praise?

In recent days I have been asking myself the question: what does it mean to be the church in the world at times like this? We must draw the courage from our faith to continue to be light in a world darkened by fear and hatred. We must keep our sight on Jesus, whose presence is never far. We must not let worry guide our thoughts and words and actions.

Let the peace of God, which is all surpassing, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.