I have a heaviness on my heart that has been hard to shake. Conversations with parishioners have been of such a nature that I know what I am feeling is not isolated. Watching local and global events unfold has left a weightiness that has burdened God’s people. I will be addressing this on Sunday, but let me also offer something now.

First, we are to share our burdens with each other. As the Bible says and  as we discover in the process, whatever we are carrying will not feel as heavy. We also often find that the courage to share opens doors to the hearts of others who move near our own. Burdens unspoken and then uncovered – “Am I the only one feeling like this right now?” – is balm to the soul.

Secondly, the secular gospel preached in every corner of society is a battle against flesh and blood. The idea being that we can deal with evil through more education, legislation, and societal reform. While those certainly help, it is not hard to see that evil can be observed everywhere. “The Battle” that Ephesians 6 speaks of points outside our modern cultural narrative to an ancient one … an ongoing war in our world that goes beyond our world. In other words: “Our struggle is not [JUST] against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Our prayer life and gathering together are some of the weapons always at hand. “We must not forsake meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. This becomes more and more important as you see the Day getting closer.” Hebrews 10:25

Because of the Cross and Resurrection this is a battle we cannot lose. Until then, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15