Author: Zlatko Sebesta

Broken dreams

It was (and still is) both scary and comforting to go through the lockdown experience during COVID-19. Scary to think what a small virus can do to the world as we know it, but also refreshing to experience the calm and quiet of a whole global world forced to take a break from the mad rush. It was good not to have the usual rush and were forced to reconsider the lie that we keep telling ourselves that we have to be busy all the time in order to find meaning in life. I also liked the fact that, at least in part, there was more appreciation for God’s creation as wild animals visited places they are not normally seen and cities were cleared of much of the smog caused by our demand for comfort.

It was like living in a dream world … well, almost!

But my dream world was quickly shattered by the usual (evil) realities, such as the wars in Syria and Yemen that were still happening (just pushed off the front pages by a tiny virus), while other diseases, bad politics (politicians!), corruption and global evils like poverty and hunger have not gone away. But perhaps the biggest bubble-burst reality was the rude awakening that racial harmony was very far from being experienced around the world, as highlighted by the senseless killing of an African American man and the consequent unrests, spreading around the USA and many parts of the world.

We live in a restless world. There is no lack of finding evidence of a world yearning for peace and harmony, but seem to always struggle to find it. Human organizations, talks, committees and all other efforts have failed to provide permanent peace.

And yet, we should not lose the dream of peace, rest and harmony. This is precisely why Jesus came, to mend a broken world, to revive our broken dreams. These dreams can only become reality if we truly believe in and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, stepping into his footsteps by living as He did, striving not only to personally experience his peace, but also to become his “blessed are the peacemakers” in this world (Matthew 5:9).

May the Lord increase our peace as we seek to be instruments of peace for Him in His kingdom.

Lest we forget…

We’ve been in lockdown now since early March, with a slow opening up the economy and relaxing of the restrictions. While we were in the middle of it all, first quarantined for fourteen days and then severely restricted in terms of travel and shopping, it felt like an eternity of “sitting at home, doing nothing”. Not that I was doing nothing, but it felt weird to not being able to simply go somewhere, visit people, have church and so on.

At the end of May there is a kind-of lifting of the restrictions, as long as we still stay within the Slovak borders, of course. Joan and I have been going shopping a little bit more than a month ago, and I am struck at how life seems to get back to some form of normality, seen in how traffic patterns get back to jams, people shopping like crazy, visits to friends and family becoming more relaxed, and many other signs that we’re on the way to life as we used to know it.

And yet, something inside me is objecting! Humans easily forget, even despite the pictures we take, monuments we erects and entrances into our history books. I want to hold on to some of the lessons we learned during this time (and continue to learn). These include at least a more reflective life, taking time to enjoy quietness, learning to enjoy silence, getting away from the mad rush around us, appreciating regular contact with others by asking how they are coping (despite happening via Zoom, Whatsapp or social media) and many other things we should not forget as we get back into the routine of “normal” life. Maybe there should be a new normal for us as we “get out” of this time.

God knew that we easily forget and therefore instituted days and rituals or remembrance, such as Passover for the Jews and The Lord’s Supper for followers of Jesus Christ … all of this “lest we forget”. Make a note (physical or mental) of what you’ve learned to appreciate during this time, and make a point of remembering the lessons.