Inhospitable

2/22/2023

Maine can be a very daunting place to live in the wintertime. A few weekends ago, like a lot of the country, Maine had the lowest temperatures it has seen in a generation. With the wind chill it reached -44 degrees. Brrrrr. The news was reporting that frostbite at those temperatures could occur in 5 minutes. I felt so badly for anyone that had to go out, and for all the pups that must do their “business” outdoors. We did bring our little girl out, but she was done and back in record time. Thankfully, that cold snap only lasted two days and then we were back to our regular winter weather.

In Maine, like I’m sure is true in many other parts of the country, there is a tendency to want to hunker down and stay inside until spring. My neighbor, Sandy, always says we never see one another in the winter because we all batten down the hatches and ride it out. A very accurate assessment. This introvert, for one, is okay with that. Why even try to go out when it’s so cold it freezes your nostrils when you breathe? It is easier, and more comfortable, just to stay inside.

This morning, while doing my devotions, I thought of how the world right now is like winter in Maine: very inhospitable. Evil seems to be running rampant and unchecked. You can see it everywhere. Things that, not very long ago, were deemed as sinful or even just inappropriate are being more widely accepted. As long as you are “living your truth”, you should be accepted no matter what. There is a HUGE difference between a single person’s or group’s “truth” and the REAL TRUTH that is in the Word of God. People are turning away from His truth for the insidious lies that are being normalized every day. This is destabilizing us and dividing us as families, a country, and even a world. It is now a place where people are being maligned for speaking truth, even when it is wrapped in love. Our world is, without a doubt, an inhospitable place.

So once again I have to ask: is the world so hostile that we, as believers, refuse to “go forth” because of what may lie on the other side? Do we feel like even 5 minutes in this climate could irreparably harm us? Have the loud voices that speak untruths, evil, and hatred made us retreat from going out into the world to share the Gospel message? So, I must ask myself this question: Am I, as a disciple of Jesus, trusting Him to guide and protect me on such a dangerous journey? Didn’t Paul go boldly into his ministry having nothing but a profound faith and the Holy Spirit to guide him? Didn’t he preach to an inhospitable and dangerous world? Should I do anything less?

We, as a world, are experiencing a bitter winter of evil, anger, hate, and violence. Without the boldness of those willing to go fourth and speak God’s truth, spring may never come.