Two weeks ago, I found myself in a floating city. This city had a population of 5,200, greater than the town I live in by 2,000 people. This massive ship was an outstanding place to observe people. Observing people is always a good time and informative about man’s sinfulness and desperate need for a savior.
One of our stops was Mykonos, Greece; this town is picturesque. All buildings are white stucco, and it is known for its windmills and shopping. What is refreshing about shopping is that the corporation has to control building codes strictly, so even if Best Buy’s colors are yellow and blue, the building is still white, and the letters are not logos but just black letters. The shopping was so high-end that we never entered most stores like Gucci or Rolex.
This quaint seaside town was also built on a hillside, adding to its charm with tiny, narrow streets that twist and curve up and down hills. As you walked, you never knew what was just 100′ in front of you with all the twists and curves. One of our favorite trees is the bougainvillea, and Mykonos is full of red, white, and purple and in full bloom next to these charming white stucco buildings. If there is ever a postcard town, this is one of them.
It is this charm that a problem arose. This town and almost every 200′ is another opportunity for an Instagram-worthy photo. Are you familiar with the term “Instagram Couple”? These couples are obsessed with finding the picture that might go viral and allow them to become social media influencers: more likes, more clicks, more applause from men. The problem was that these couples thought nothing of stopping the flow of other people’s time on the island. It was like they were unaware of what was going on around them. They were present and yet had no presence.
As I think about this, I have realized that this is how most of the world lives. We are so focused on what we want that we are unaware of what is happening around us. I am guilty of this myself.
This Sunday, Paul wants Timothy to understand that something is happening around us, and most of us are unaware. This would be the battle in the heavenlies that is happening all around us, but most of us walk around oblivious to it. There is a battle for good and evil going on all around us, and just like that Instagram couple who was utterly clueless to anyone around them, we are also unaware of this war.
Paul will close his letter to his son of the faith this Sunday. I pray we, too, can glean wisdom from these writings so we can rise above our sinful nature and become aware of everything God is doing in us and around us.
This Sunday at 9:30, we will open the Word and ask the Holy Spirit to move among us. I hope to see you bring a friend!
In Him,
Pastor Chris