Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
General Christian
Careers, Workplace and Religion
Where is This Jesus Fella?

Where is This Jesus Fella?

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 4:26 am by Mark Williams

0 Comments

Where is This Jesus Fella? 2024-04-21T04:26:19-07:00 Mark Williams

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Worn Hands
Williams/williams

Where is this Jesus Fella?

Where is Jesus? I don’t mean to say that flippantly, but where the hell is He? The son of God, one of the Big Three in the Holy Trinity, and while the world appears to be burning collective minds to the ground, WHERETHEHELLISHE? Does he not see what is going on? Does He even care?

…there have been other seasons….

Over history, I guess, there have been other seasons where people have asked that question. I bet in the two Big Ones—World War I and II, I bet people asked then. Maybe when Nero was lighting the highway to Rome with Christian bodies being crucified, I bet that drew some questions.

I know, even as individuals, we have asked during times of personal crisis or trauma, those inquires were asked. “Hey, Lord, ah—really could use a helping hand here, really would like to see You fix this.” I know He’s been asked that because I asked it. I asked it about six in the morning yesterday. Then a whole bunch the day before, then I am sure the day before that, but I can’t remember that far back—is was a blur that day.

…where are you?

If we believe in God and His son, Jesus, then we have asked the question—where are you? We are children and children ask where there parents are when they get scared. Here’s one for you, how about Simon, one of the twelve apostles, being sawn in half? Do you think he might have called out to the God and Lord he was being sawn in half for? I think if that was me, I would have screamed out I will worship tree bark if you want me to, just put the saw down!!

Here is the one, unmistakable fact about my Lord Jesus. He misses nothing. God has a plan—The Plan. And because he is God, The Plan is perfect. It is without error. It is perfectly timed and sequenced, it glorifies God Himself while bringing us closer to Him and restoring us.

It’s perfect.

God hasn’t left us or abandoned us. He lives and dwells in us. The Holy Spirit of God Himself is in us. We do not struggle with the world alone. We have the God of the Universe dwelling in us. There is no event in our lives where God is not fully aware and fully prepared to reflect Himself to us, if we just take a moment to look. If we just take a minute to raise our heads from our struggle and listen, softly in the chaos, for His voice.

“…what the hell are you talking about?

“Mark, what the hell are you talking about? I can’t hear crap over the roar of this shitstorm. The world, me, my family—what is left of them, my job. I can’t sleep, can’t eat. The infection is getting worse.”

I know.

I also know He knows.

Psalm 46

In Psalms 46:10 there is this little gem—Be still and know that I am God.

“Yeah, well that’s pretty easy for you to say. You don’t know what I am going through.”

Nope, you’re right. I have no clue what you are experiencing, and I am stuck in the same world with the same flaming shitstorm around me looking at this world’s future and shaking my head. It’s too big to even fathom let alone fix. And I am definitely not telling you not to be scared. Fear can be our friend. It keeps us alive and frosty when we go into the dark house and reminds us before we go into that cave we think would be neat to go into that maybe a very large sasquatch with her two small sasquatchies live there. Nothing worse than a protective mother sasquatch.

…fear was given to us by Dad Himself….

Fear protects us. And, in my opinion, fear was given to us by Dad Himself for those times we get stupid and want to go into a cave. But fear in our lives, can be from Evil. Wanting us to wake up and stay awake about those things we didn’t do or have to do or deal with. That Evil keeps us from rest. And Dad—appears—to do nothing.

Oh, we are so wrong. He does everything. The Plan is perfect. It was designed just for us.

I get that.

Look, this might not have helped. I get that. But you’re not alone. Sometimes, it feels that way. But you’re really not. Dad has you and this crapola life you might be living right now. And when this part is over and you get past it, there will be another, and another, and—you get my meaning.

But He loves you so much. That Jesus fella, yep, He does.

He loves you as wide as He could stretch his arms.

Enjoy the ride.

About – Inside Our Gooey Minds (patheos.com)

Home (markjwilliams.com)

Careers, Workplace and Religion

About Mark Williams

Mark Williams spent the first twenty-one years of his career as a Special Agent for the Organized Crime Division of the State Attorney General’s Office. As part of his duties, he investigated organized crime, homicides, and fraud cases submitted by other agencies to that office. He has traveled across the United States as an instructor for law enforcement in various capacities. After he retired, he became a high school English teacher at an inner-city school in central Phoenix where he is the fourth generation in his family to live in the valley. Mark was married for almost thirty-eight years and is a retired widower. He has three children and ten grandchildren. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

March 16, 2024

Choices