‘Be still and know that I am God’

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps. 46v10)

There is no doubt that we live in an increasingly troubled world. Often, we have hardly come to terms with the turmoil of instability or conflict in some part of the world before our attention is drawn to another. Be it the Israeli and US attacks on Iran that have destabilised various nations in the Middle East that are increasingly expanding to various other parts of the world, or the seemingly ever-present Russia–Ukraine [war], these do not make us forget other trouble spots like the hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan, DR Congo’s conflict with the M23 (March 23 Movement rebel group) or militant attacks and persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria, just to name a few.

More often than not, the impact of these trouble spots that seem so far away from some of us come much nearer home than expected. Be it far or near, we are often so disturbed that the temptation is to throw up our arms in despair or be overcome with fear or uncertainty, not only about the present but our future. How should we respond to these ever-increasing situations of conflict or turmoil in our rapidly changing world?