Thriving In Chaos Recast

Thriving in Chaos. Can you believe all the chaos that is going on in our world days?

I shed tears watching prominent world personalities and celebrities testing positive to Corona virus. Just one virus... Washington the seat of world power was on lock-down and self-quarantine. Italy, the home of Mafioso’s... The seat of Vatican became almost a ghost town, people falling like packs of cards on the streets, with hundreds of deaths every day. China, The economic capital of the world with its hustle and bustle finally quieted down, the restless society finally calmed down, and the restless teaming population gradually going down and world economy crumbling.

Thriving in Chaos

In a space of 4 months or there about, 160,000 human beings have died of a single virus called corona, with over 2.3 million lying helplessly in wards and medical ventilators all over the world. Billionaires have been donating money liked never before in the history of humanity with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey topping the table with $1 billion (N367 billion), despite all that the rate of infected people is on the increase.

On the (March 29 )Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany’s Hesse state, committed suicide apparently after becoming “deeply worried” over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, according to state report. 

American playwright Terrence McNally, Italian actress Lucia Bos and Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff (Gatekeeper) to President Muhammadu Buhari are elite’s victim of the virus among others. Coronavirus army is without mercy. It is without any milk of human kindness. It is indiscriminate - it has no respect for children, women, or places of worship. This army is not interested in spoils of war. It has no intention of regime change. It is not concerned about the rich mineral resources underneath the earth. It is not even interested in religious, ethnic or ideological hegemony. Its ambition has nothing to do with racial superiority. It is an invisible, fleet-footed, and ruthlessly effective army. Its only agenda is a harvest of death. It is only satiated after turning the world into one big death field. It has claimed the lives of the rich and the poor, as well as imprisoned a large proportion of reasonable people in their homes. It has not refused to humble the arrogant exuberance of President Donald Trump of USA.

Even Boris Johnson prime minister of United Kingdom one of the most humble of men is a survival. In fact, henceforth when you are composing your CV, just write ex-convict of Covid 19

In a related circumstance, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte groan lamented “We have lost control, can’t understand what more we can do, all solutions are exhausted on ground. Our only hope remains up in the Sky, God rescue your people”

Back home in Nigeria, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauch state are survival. The fearless Governor Nasir El-Rufai is still a prisoner of Covid 19. Lagos, the commercial city of Nigeria, an idle city that claimed to be busy became deserted overnight, her Dafo-drivers and market women went on self-isolation, Abuja is less than a ghosts town, men and women of Ogun state have all gone to farm. Daylight robbery and criminality has begins to paint the city of Lagos and Ogun. And according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigerian security forces killed 18 people in two weeks while enforcing lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of the new coronavirus that was according to AS reporter.

Not only do we see these chaotic episodes, but people all over are thrust into chaos. Just some four months ago a families of five were burn to asses in an auto accident. I know people who are experiencing financial chaos, relational chaos, medical chaos, hunger, and chaos at work, school, home, and even internally dealing with those inner feelings of anger, insecurity, loneliness, and stress.

The truth is chaos is part of life. Someone once said ‘life is one chaotic adventure after another.’ So with all this pandemonium around us, how do we cope? How do we navigate through all this and remain in some semblance of peace and more than just survival? How do we thrive in chaos?

Now, I will not pretend that there is some quick answer to this, but I do know where to start. One of the best things that helps us as live this chaotic adventure called life is to have someone who can relate to us. You know, someone who has been there, been through it, knows what you are feeling.

We do have One who can relate to us, One who can identify with what we have or are going through.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are– yet was without sin.

That is huge! All of who Jesus is and has been through let’s understand He knows our life. I came across a video from a creative Christian speaker, J. John, who took a few of the names of Jesus and related them to some of our walks of life. Here is some of what he said and I added a few of my own.

1. Jesus is the Bread of Life so Bakers could understand.

2. Jesus is the Water of Life so Plumbers could understand.

3. Jesus is the Light of the World so Electricians could understand.

4. Jesus is the Corner Stone so Architects could understand.

5. Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star so Astronomers could understand.

6. Jesus is the Hidden Treasure so Bankers could understand.

7. Jesus is the Life so Biologist could understand.

8. Jesus is the Door so Carpenters could understand.

9. Jesus is the Great Physician so Nurses and Doctors could understand.

10. Jesus is the Good Teacher so Educators could understand.

11. Jesus is the Lyly of the Valley so florists could understand.

12. Jesus is the Rock of Ages so Geologists could understand.

13. Jesus is the True Vine so Horticulturists could understand.

14. Jesus is the Righteous One so Judges could understand.

15. Jesus is the Purl of Great Price so Jewelers could understand.

16. Jesus is Wisdom so Philosophers could understand.

17. Jesus is the Word so Actors could understand.

18. Jesus is the Good Shepherd so farmers could understand.

19. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega so Scientists could understand.

20.  Jesus is the Way so Mapmakers could understand.

21. Jesus is the Truth so Politicians could understand.

22. Jesus is the Redeemer so Recyclers could understand.

23. Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor so Psychologists could understand.

24. Jesus is the great supplier so Industrialist could understand

25. Jesus is the good news so Journalist could understand.

26. Jesus is the Image of God so photographers could understand.

27. Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of our faith so Publishers could understand

And we could take any of the other names for Jesus and show that Jesus is the One who can relate to any and all people. He not only speaks our life language, but has been through much of the same chaos you and I have been through or will go through. That’s so we would do what the next verse in Hebrews 4 says…

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

I don’t know what personal chaos you are in the midst of or will go through, but I do know you will. It is a part of this chaotic adventure called life. When it hits, get help, don’t be alone and for sure draw near to Jesus as best as you know how. It’s not a magic fix and it will take great effort, and you may not feel better, but you will not just survive, you will thrive.

Jesus is not some distant deity, but our Saviour and Lord who longs for us to draw near to Him. Chaos or not, life is better knowing Jesus. Why not seek to get closer to Him.

Hebrews 13:5 ".... he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6 So that you may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear..."

Happy Season.