Back in the day so much prayer was focused on specifics such as the Berlin conference of the late 19th Century that carved up Africa for the Europeans. Alongside 13 European nations the USA was also involved. Alongside specifics a large amount of effort went into ‘rolling up the Roman road’, seeking to undo the effects of empire. We had some incredible encouraging signs and yet… But now so much seems to connect.
We should not expect that all movements that seek to address the issues are going to do it perfectly. If the body of Christ does not execute her task perfectly why do we have higher standards for the world!!
So much of history is covered over. I have found again and again that history stays hidden until uncovered through prayer. Once it is out the lid cannot be put on the box again. For the Brits among us here is a good article to check up on the British and part of our imperial history:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/16/boris-johnson-lying-history-britain-empire
I am definitely not patriotic. I find that to be in direct conflict with my commitment to Jesus. I cannot give any allegiance that conflicts with my allegiance to Christ. There are of course arguments as to what was achieved through empire, the sending of missionaries etc. It has even been suggested that the ‘fullness of times’ when Jesus came was the Roman Empire, one language, roads and so the gospel could spread! The context of those verses point in a radically different direction.
God maximises all possibilities. After all he even used a king in Israel! To find some good that came through something reveals nothing about the ‘thing’ in question.
The uncovering, the reaction is not going to go away. If I can be so bold as to suggest the prayer ensures that. And once we have prayed, we cannot then push it all back in cos what came out was not what we were expecting! Prayer does not unlock what we expect, it unlocks what we need.
We have hit mid-way through this decade a governmental crisis. We have leaders who are comfortable to lie. We have hit the sign of the COVID virus that is the wake up call… behind this comes the economic crisis that will have some back and forths but will come at a new level in 2022, when as yet some unforeseen combination of setbacks will hit.
Our response? Bunker down? Or use this time to allow for some personal readjustment to line up with God’s agenda. Early on in this ‘less than pretty time’ I cottoned on to the Ecclesiastes verses that God makes everything beautiful in its time. God is never inactive, never non-redemptive. There is always activity that he is involved in.
Loads of questions in this time, but I also see it as a major shift.
I guess I wonder how long and how often must the cover of history be ripped off for change to occur? It seems we have been doing this for a time now. Or to use your dream image – the facades have been crumbling for awhile. However, I fear we will miss this moment. It is all too clear that the elites and the institutions they control are eager to simply ‘return to normal’. The pandemic and the social unrest is to be papered over, yet again, without real change or reform. The rich have made money through the pandemic, lots of money. They certainly would not be eager for real change. So yes, we uncover history, respond to it, only to find it gets a pat on the head and sent back to where it came from. I expect disruption to continue for some time as we continue to choose the comfortable over the absolutely required change.
It is though in this time everything demonic or problematic in the world, the country and in individuals is somehow amplified. The layers of grime coming off and being brought to the surface like some deep cleansing. Ugly to look at for now whilst it’s going on but necessary to make things clean/new. Maybe toppling of empire or at least the idols of empire. Perhaps anyway! It’s unlikely we can go back to the way it was before now ‘things hidden becoming manifest’. Part of me desperately wants to in some respects anyway and yet have to see the signs of the times as Jesus said and move with them really.