Tsunami

     By now everyone has heard about the earthquake that hit Japan on March 11^th. The tsunami that followed only added to the devastation. Many of us have read the news articles and watched the videos of people and property being swept away so easily by the waves that were nearly four stories high. It is amazing to witness the destructive power of water.

     The Associated Press (AP) released an article this morning telling the story of Minami Sato. The article said, “Growing up in this small fishing town on Japan's northeastern coast, 16-year-old Minami Sato never took the annual tsunami drills seriously. She thought the town's thick, two-story-high harbor walls would protect against any big wave.” In other words, Minami did not believe it was even possible that a tsunami could have this type of devastating impact on her community.

     This story could really be about us. All of us are guilty of refusing to admit the devastating impact that sin has had on our culture, community, country and across the world. There has been a tsunami of sin in our culture and like Minami, many do not take the warning signs seriously. The immorality in this world is having a major impact on the generations behind us.

     Think with me for a moment. Sexual immorality alone has grown considerably in our culture. Statistics show that many would rather cohabitate and have the benefits of marriage without the risk of commitment. Sex before marriage, as well as sex outside of marriage  have become more accepted. Divorce is on the rise and family is being redefined by our government as they try to force the acceptance of homosexuality. God designed family! Who are we to change God’s design?

     Minami Sato trusted that the two story harbor wall would protect her small town off the northeast coast of Japan but it failed to do so. The same is true for the Church. People expect that the church would protect their community from a tsunami, but just as the harbor wall failed Minami, the church is failing people. Many times we fail to stand in the face of immorality and slow the destruction of sin. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus called us salt and light. Salt slows the decay and light shines in the darkness. This is exactly what the Church, the body of Christ, should be doing. We should be slowing the decay of immorality. We should be shining the light of Jesus in this dark world.

Let’s go and be the Church,

Greg Edens