Two different people can view the exact same information or data, and their imaginations take them in very opposite directions. Our imaginations are so often guided by either faith or fear. This Vision Sunday message encourages us to use a holy imagination, and instead of saying "we can't", to look at our future and say "God is with us."
After warning his disciples about hypocrisy, Jesus warns them about greed – an inordinate desire to have an abundance of possessions. He tells them there is a better place to invest in the future than stockpiling resources.
Fear moves units off shelves. Fear sells products, runs governments, etc. But we’re commanded to be joyful and rejoice, even in the face of intense hardship. How does that work???
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a prime candidate for fear, anxiety, and worry. But she was also a prime candidate for faith. You probably are too.
As the coronavirus continues to leave it's mark on our lives, we turn to the Psalms to help us lament the fact that the world isn't as we'd like it to be. The longings we experience in these days (coffee with friends, going out to eat, not worrying about jobs, etc) are really longings for heaven. And because of Jesus, that is one guarantee that we can be sure of.