The Power of a Tiny Thing

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Shouldn’t we have seen this coming? Three months ago we knew about a new virus. Two months ago we knew it was an epidemic. One month ago we knew it had become a pandemic. What will we know tomorrow?

Many Nova Scotians still find it unthinkable that such a tiny thing that originated half a world away could become uncontainable and transform our lives so quickly. Yet it did. Before we knew what hit us, we escalated from small-talk about another novel corona virus in China to frenzied buying of toilet paper and office chairs in Halifax. Yesterday morning as we prepared for the live-streaming worship from HCC, we knew we needed to limit our contact with other people. Within 30 minutes of our worship ending we knew that police would enforce the number to be a maximum of five, empowered by the State of Emergency declared by our provincial Premier. What will we know tomorrow?

In our current sermon series, "Cornerstone: A Faith Built on Jesus," Greg and James have already taught that:

  • despite 1st century Jews looking expectantly for their Messiah through the hundreds of prophecies, they rejected Jesus even though he precisely filled all of them;
  • despite Jesus showing his students that he knew and could do things that only God could know and do, they deserted him;
  • despite Jesus being the Creator Who has authority over heaven and earth, the earthly authorities tortured and executed him.
Shouldn’t they have seen His coming? Shouldn't they have recognized Him when he did?

Interestingly, in just a few decades, Christianity went from casual conversations about a strange rabbi in Palestine with a few followers, to an explosively growing religion with disciples spreading through the known world like … well … a virus. Uncontainable! Transformative! Within a handful of decades, some would argue that the Romans would come to see it as a pandemic that started as a tiny thing on the east coast of the Mediterranean and eventually unseated their authority in Rome. A kingdom of order and compliance had given way to a Kingdom of love and fellowship.

Never underestimate the power of a tiny thing in God’s hands.

Scripture: Matthew 17:20  (NIV) – Jesus’ words to His disciples
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Suggestion for a Prayer: Heavenly Father, replace my fears of this temporary crisis with a faith in an eternal God, replace my despair about an unsure future with a hope that endures, and replace my self-centredness with your love that looks to serve others as well as myself. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 24, 2020 at 2:28 PM

    My prayer Heavenly Father is that you will take this short window of time, this rest from the busyness of day-to-day life, and encourage your people to spend time deepening their relationship with you. Many of us have more time on our hands than normal. I want to know you more at the end of this unique point in our history.

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