THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
When the film came out by this title, I was just two years old. It was released back in 1951. I was born in 1949. Needless to say, most of you would have only seen this American black-and-white science fiction film produced by 20th Century Fox through reruns. I picked this title because there was literally a point in the movie where the main character named Klaatu, played by Michael Rennie, landed in Washington, D. C. from an alien planet bearing a message for Earth’s leaders. He caused a demonstration to happen where humanity from all around the planet stood still for a prescribed amount of time. Klaatu came to Earth on behalf of more advanced alien life who had been watching the cold war era with nuclear proliferation on earth. They did not want to see earth’s destructive nature spread among the galaxies.
Even though the threat of nuclear war is still prevalent amongst us today, it is not our most pressing issue at the present time. In fact, it appears that nearly every aspect of our daily lives is under siege. Because of the current worldwide pandemic, people from all around the world are forced to slow down to a similar halt, similar to what was portrayed in that science fiction movie. It feels like the entire world has been brought to a standstill until we figure out how to deal with this pandemic.
We are currently experiencing worldwide deaths and suffering that only happen centuries apart in the earth’s history. The world’s financial structure is near a breaking point because people are not allowed to perform their usual work to provide income for their families. People are forced to remain distanced from one another to avoid catching or spreading the virus. We can’t spend time with our friends and relatives as we would like or even visit the sick and dying in hospitals. It feels like a period where the entire earth has been made to stand still for a moment of deep reflection.
This worldwide pandemic has exposed several deficiencies of our society such as in income and wealth disparities; healthcare disparities, and other serious issues associated with the nature of mankind’s selfish nature. Without this temporary pause, most of this awareness would have been glazed over as it has always been. Social dysfunctions seem to only matter to those who are suffering while the ones who are not suffering give the situation only a passing glance.
With this slow down there have been numerous acts of pure evil perpetrated against the most vulnerable. This is being done by the police who are entrusted to protect and serve all our citizens equally. This is not new. It has been happening since the formation of this nation but with everyone stuck at home by their televisions and social media devices the entire world can see what blacks have been experiencing since the days of slavery.
It is not just the police policies that are being exposed, look at our political leaders worldwide. Most are just puppets and sycophants seeking to maintain power and privilege no matter what the cost to the people they were entrusted to serve. This pause in our normal daily operations is revealing a picture of our society that is not pretty, it very ungodly, and it is unrighteous.
So, what is the relevance of all this? What can we do as individuals to become a cure to the problem as opposed to being dead weight? It appears that we are being intentionally brought to a standstill in order to figure this out. Rather than an alien society watching over us from a distant galaxy and sounding the alarm, instead, there appears to be an even greater power bringing our entire planet to its knees. Oh, did I also mention that on top of all the social dysfunctions that are being exposed Mother Nature has been sounding the alarm for years now about how we have been mistreating our planet? There has been an increase in hazardous weather patterns causing more deadly floods, tornadoes, droughts, hurricanes, starvation, and the like. Our current leaders want to write this off as a hoax and do nothing to answer Mother Nature’s warning. They keep on doing even more things that are causes the earth to suffer.
No matter how you might view all of this, there is a force in operation that appears to be calling the shots. With so many things happening at this particular juncture of time a prudent person would take note and inquire as to how this might be possible. Prudence would tell us to stop and pay attention to this clarion call. To that I say, watch what comes next.
As somewhat a pupil of the Lord I am slowly learning that once I turn to my Teacher and seek His guidance, I must learn how to trust in what comes next. On a grander scale, it has to be the same way because God is always the same in all circumstances, while we tend to fluctuate depending upon how we feel or what we think about things. When we see things happening on a worldwide basis and there appears to be no logical explanation that we might justify, the first position we need to take is to turn to the Lord and seek His guidance in the matter. The fact that we are willing to turn to Him seeking His guidance positions us for what comes next… that is, if our hearts are in the right place. At such a point, we have to trust in what comes next, no matter what that might be.
The fact that the world has been brought to this standstill speaks volumes. It speaks in an inaudible language that rings loudly to those attuned to God. God speaks to all His children through this medium but that does not mean all of them will listen or discern the messages. To those not attuned to God, it is like gibberish or white noise totally indiscernible. On the contrary, believers know that when God brings us to this point of stillness, He is saying, Be Still and Know that I am God.
If you know God and seek His face, you also know to trust in what comes next, no matter what that might be. On the contrary, our tendency is to speak for God or to direct where we want Him to cast blame or retribution. That is not how God operates. As the Creator of the universe, and certainly Guardian over the Earth, God is more than capable of taking care of His creation beyond what we might imagine. Even if God decided to allow the world to be overcome by fire or floods that would be His call because rest assured, absent the body, present with the Lord. That means that even death would lead to glory. It is the ultimate gain that all the children of God seek. On the other hand, death and destruction for those on the outside of God’s hand of protection is another finality.
Therefore, I can make this statement very boldly and with great assurance. God is reaching out to His children with a word of caution as He has done numerous times in our history. We recall the days of Noah with the pending floods where God cautioned the people. They refused to listen and see what happened. We recall the exodus of God’s people from bondage in Egypt. God cautioned them as to what would happen, but the mighty pharaoh refused to submit to God after numerous cautions. Apparently, God will usually send His prophets ahead to warn us when things are getting out of hand but do the people take heed before the hammer has to drop.
We also know the statement God made when He said to His chosen leader King Solomon from a prayer request:
“I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Many of us scripture-lovers will stop there but God continues to let them know:
“Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now, I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.”
It is not by coincidence that we are facing such calamities on such a grand scale because our carelessness, unrighteousness, and even wicked actions demand no less. Some of the children of God will take heed. A few will turn to God and seek His refuge. They also know that they must accept what comes next, trusting in Almighty God no matter what.
The entire world has been brought to this reflection point but not all people will take it the same way. The children of God will turn towards Him and others will turn away. To some, there will be the ultimate gain and unto others unimaginable loss.
“Be still and know that I(alone) Am God.” Psalm 46:10 NIV. God will not be mocked by mortal men. Let those who have ears to hear receive this message. A TIME OF RECKONING IS AT HAND. Selah!
