Article by Kelvin Ramsey

The recent snow brought to mind some of the best and worst of human behavior during weather events. On the good side neighbors help each other with the removal of snow and make sure that everyone is okay. People go outside in numbers either playing in the snow or clearing it. In our society of everyone shutting themselves inside, this is a good thing The worst of behavior includes fighting over cleared parking spots and piling snow on someone else’s property in order to clear your own. It is the more subtle response that people have to storms that I reflect upon.

Do you notice the frenzy of people trying to find bread and milk when there is storm predicted? This mindset may have been the precursor to the frenzy that happened when COVID-19 first hit.

The image of thousands of people in the area starving to death in their homes because they did not have bread or milk for a day or two is hard for me to conjure up. Yet, that is the signal that was given. We have become so used to having everything that we want in the way of food when we want it, that the thought of not having it for even an instant terrifies us.

One of the things that the prophets in the Old Testament were constantly preaching to the people of Israel was that in the middle of plenty and all the good things they had that they neglected the hungry and those people who had no advocate to speak for them (widows and orphans).

Let’s face it, physical hunger is a reality even in the middle of plenty and we should do what we can to help our neighbors. There is also spiritual hunger but we usually do not see runs on churches like we do on stores. Maybe we need spiritual foul-weather forecasts. The problem is that God never has supply chain or shortage issues when it comes to his love for us and what he is willing to give us if we ask. But we are like the child who will only eat chicken nuggets when all sorts of amazing food is offered.

Jesus referred to himself as being the bread of life (John 6:47-51). He said that the Israelites who ate the physical bread provided to keep them from starvation in the wilderness (manna) are all dead. But those that take in the bread from heaven (Jesus) will live forever. This is the kind of food that will sustain us during foul spiritual weather. Manna, like store-bought bread, became uneatable after a certain period of time. The bread of heaven that sustains us and gives eternal life lasts forever. Best of all, when foul weather hits, we do not have to run to the store to get it and do not have to worry about it running out.

May you be prepared for the foul weather to come.

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