Simply Trust that God Reigns

How should we follow God in this ever-changing world and amid the severe pandemic? Does it help to search for more information on the Inter net?

The pandemic surges again in Taiwan, pushing everyone to fight for vaccines. In Hong Kong, no one bothers much with the abundant supply of vaccines. Out of the fear of the future, people are driven to search for information online. May I remind everyone including myself not to get stuck on the YouTube. Due to the advanced technology, all major websites use cookies to store your preferences. Aiming to find just a single piece of information, you end up being drawn by the recommended websites and keep browsing. The fact is, the content popped up from the database is designed to suit your preferences. The more you delve, the more reinforced your viewpoints are. In this way, it is hard for you to have new insights and breakthroughs.

The convenience of technology has become a force pulling us away from following God because information influences how we make decision. The information provided from the world reflects certain standpoints. When we keep reading the content that interests us, we are easily assimilated by the world. We should follow the guidance and truth of God and not our own preferences nor the world’s views. As I mentioned before, Media shouldn’t become our idols. Likewise, we shouldn’t idolize database. Our heart should go after God. Facing the variable future, we are to inquire of the Lord. We are not to be ignorant, yet neither should we be lost in the overwhelming and hard-to-discern information.

As to whether we should be vaccinated, it is a civic responsibility to me. As a senior pastor of a church with a congregation of nearly ten thousand, I am in touch with more than three thousand people each week. I have to try my best not to spread the virus. Herd immunity is achieved when everyone is vaccinated. Certainly we have to take our physical condition and doctor’s advice into consideration before choosing which vaccine to receive. We should avoid being drawn in the information of our stance.

The world is in turmoil. In this Tree of Life community, we should support each other in love in order to have higher resistance to stress. Facing the unknown future, we should not follow the crowd. Besides walking together in the community of love and faith, we are to resist the information and pulling force from artificial intelligence. Moreover, we need to establish personal spiritual routines: Do I spend time with God every day? Do I keep reading bible, praying and receiving support from brothers and sisters? The more we count our blessings, the clearer we see God’s guidance. Then we are able to overcome the external pulling force, however strong it is.

The Tree of Life Community is like a ship where God is our Anchor, who steadies us amid stormy waters. Take our co-workers Boaz and Debbie and their preschool kids, for example, they moved to Hong Kong from Singapore in 2018. They didn’t come for a rich life but to follow God. These two years, they have experienced storms like never before. Yet, the anchor from God inside their whole family strengthens their hearts.

Let’s continue to follow God with simple faith. Despite the pandemic or the changes of the world, we just follow God, believing that He rules over the raging sea as well as tomorrow.■[2021.06.06]