How do we face fear and overcome it?

That was the question of the day in our morning coffee time, and as always, Elaine had my back pressed to the Biblical wall by the time we had finished.

Over many years of counselling, I have come to the conclusion that all of us struggle tangibly with fear. And that is important to know, because many people are under the delusion that there is a class of super Christians out there who float several inches above the ground and never give fear the time of day.

Like most of you, my world was turned upside down a few weeks ago. And like many of you, I started living in a different world instead.

The world of electronic communication suddenly became the platform for my communication with the outside world.

At the beginning, it seemed like a temporary substitute — something to tide me over until I got to the other side. Then it seemed to take on a life of its own. I was preaching online, I was speaking to small groups online, I was doing eschatology sessions every week on Instagram Live, I was on Zoom panels every week for our church, I was speaking on Messenger Video to people all over the world.

We have all learned by now to expect the unexpected. But the bigger question is the unexpected that will come out of the unexpected.

When something comes out of the blue and disrupts life, it has two main effects. The first is the immediate disruption. The second is the change that flows from that disruption.

It happened right in the middle of an online presentation on eschatology. A young man in the military stationed in Europe asked a question about deliverance ministry. I’m still not sure where in the context of the conversation it came from. I answered as best I could, and contacted him later to set up a time to talk.

Today our daughter and two grandsons were sitting on the deck looking out over the small lake they live on. It was a calm and sunny day. Out of nowhere a waterspout appeared, gathered strength and ripped the roof from their neighbour’s gazebo. They hardly had time to rush into the house when it had gone.

A black swan is a term for an event which comes out of nowhere and upsets everyone’s applecart. The last black swan was probably the day two planes flew into the World Trade Center. That changed our world. Now we’re living in another one.