2011 has passed & 2012 is close at hand

'Though the earth reels and all that dwell in her,

it is I [the LORD] that hold her pillars steady.' (Psalm 75.3)

As I write the season of Advent is giving way to Christmas; the year is drawing to a close; and I find myself in a reflective mood, wondering about the deeper significance of recent social and political events in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

2011 has been a remarkable year with some incredible occurrences especially in the Near East and North Africa.  Ordinary people have stood in protest against oppressive political structures.  Governments and leaders have been overthrown – this is apocalyptic stuff!  In Europe, the fragility of global economics has resulted in a re-examination of the way that member states collaborate with fiscal governance (or not as the case may be!)  And, in key cities in the west, the ‘Occupy Movement’ has emerged as a prophetic voice against global capitalism.  It is no surprise that the 2011 Time magazine person of the year award went to the ‘Protestor’. 

The story continues in 2012.  What do these things say about the movement of God in the world and how should Christians respond?  There is much to thank God for and some lessons to learn.  In the Scriptures we read that: God is sovereign over the tumultuous events of history, and longs to bring salvation to individuals and nations.  That is why God sent Christ into the world (John 3.17).

We have become accustomed to political and economic stability, but a scan of history reveals that life is not as settled as we often think, even in Europe!  The events played out early in the twenty-first century emphasize the vulnerability of the human position, call us back to the surety of God’s word, and point us to God’s plan for the whole of creation in Jesus Christ.  Not so that we might escape the troubles of this life, but so that we might pray for the world, help the poor, and where appropriate engage our political leaders, recognizing that God is at work in the process.

The Holy Spirit has been moving throughout the centuries creating opportunities for all people to receive the gospel of true freedom.  We must pray this continues in places like Egypt, Iran and Syria - asking for God’s kingdom of peace and justice to come and saying thank you for all that God has done.

I wonder whether in 2012, in spite of the ‘questions’ in our personal lives and uncertainty at a local and national level, God is calling us to remember where our strength and security ultimately lies and to seek to live a gospel-centered life that communicates this to the people and places in the world around us.