We are reading this passage in today’s world, where we are living through a pandemic, partisan politics that have infected almost every facet of our lives, dire predictions related to climate change, and warring factions across the globe. It is easy to feel the panic rise as we read Jesus’ words. But notice the last sentence of the passage: “This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”
Could it be that everything we are suffering through today is leading to something new that God is birthing? Could it be leading to a healthier, more peaceful and equitable world? What would it look like if we lived as if that world was already here, already happening? In what ways could you partner with God in birthing something new in your own relationships, in your community, and in the broader world?
Today, offer a prayer of confession for the ways you contribute to the chaos of today’s world, find assurance in God’s promise of forgiveness, and commit yourself to working with intentionality towards healing and restoration.