George or Trayvon: who do you trust?

I can’t let the George Zimmerman trial go without some comment. The tragedy of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s death has resonated with Americans no matter how they view this event. Though I won't offer an opinion, I do think we should reflect on what is happening in 21^st century America: Fear and Distrust.

Though fear in America is not new (growing up in the Cold War era, I remember when everyone was afraid of the Russians), one has to ask if current circumstances—terrorism infiltrating our country, and an increasing crime rate in our cities—are causing Americans to be more fearful (as was the case, allegedly, with George Zimmerman).

In a recent poll, a majority of Americans said the world is more dangerous than ever before; and they are increasingly distrustful. Though this is not a specific sign of the end times, fear and distrust have become a sign of the times. How incongruent, then, that at this most fearful time in history, there is a movement underway to eliminate “In God we Trust” from the national conscience—to remove it from our currency, when the opposite should be happening! “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you; surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Is. 44:10). Who do you trust?

Don’t be Like a Rubber Band

As I have stated many times in this blog, God wants us to set our mind on the things above and not on things of earth. And in order to do that, He puts us through trials that cause us to look to Him for strength, perspective, and comfort. My friend Zac Poonen compares this to the stretching of a rubber band. Like a rubber band, our spirit is stretched to focus on eternal things. But unfortunately, once the trial is over, our mind, like the rubber-band relaxes to its normal position, our spirit relaxes, and our minds spring back to the things of earth.

In the 1970s, the word “détente” was used in a political reference to the general easing of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States: during the Cold War. The French word détente originally meant the releasing of crossbow strings—two warriors relaxing their bow strings. But in our war against sin and Satan, our bow strings should never be relaxed. We should allow all circumstances to keep us taut—meaning “not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit” (Romans 12:11), alert, ever ready for an enemy who is constantly on the prowl to catch us (1 Peter 5:8).