“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)
In this time of pandemic the world is being confronted with great evil and widespread suffering. In addition, we here in America have seen escalating violence and division as people separate over politics, morality, and worldview. The media, the government, and academia have now set themselves up as moral authorities dictating how we should all live, think, and speak. But the worldview of these systems directly opposes the worldview of the Word of God. We Christians should not, however, give way to fear or compromise as we see this evil attacking us.
There is good news for us for, as we pray in our liturgy, the Lord’s return is imminent. We are reminded of this as we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. As Jesus was ascending, the angels reminded the disciples that the Lord Jesus has promised to come back and establish his Kingdom on earth forever. We need to know this and share it as well lest we become distressed by our suffering and by the chaos and violence around us.
The world needs the help of Jesus to destroy these evils and set things right. We all need Jesus. If everyone in the world had faith in Him there would be peace, no wars, no murder, no fighting, no racism. One day this will happen. Jesus will return and we will be with Him for eternity. Then we will no pain, sickness, or sorrow. But for now we must live as His disciples in this wicked world. We have been commissioned to establish His kingdom on earth. It is not given to us to know the specific answers, the specific reasons as to why life is the way it is. It is enough to know that we are in the Father’s hands in all situations. Therefore, we place our trust in Him who loved us enough to send His Son to die and rise for us.