If you think about it, 1 Peter had to be a very revolutionary letter to the church. Peter, a jew and disciple of Jesus, repeatedly asserts how Christ’s work on the cross put Jews and Gentiles on the same playing field. Until the cross, there was a clear line between the two groups because the Jews were God’s chosen people under His covenant with Abraham. But Jesus’ spilt blood on the cross meant that not only Jews but Gentiles as well could be brought into the family of God and enjoy the same inheritance, grace, and spirituality that was reserved for Jews only up to that point.

After seeing what comes out of people via social media and personal conversations over the last several weeks and months, it’s no question that there is a great deal of fear in the Church. Fear of the future– specifically brought on by the current polarized political climate of the United States. I’ve had countless conversations with fellow believers discussing what we see unfolding before our very eyes. Regardless of where on the political spectrum you fall, it is very plain to see that we as a country are moving in a direction where we may begin to see the Church slowly stripped of its rights and freedoms.

It’s in times like this that I wonder: How do people that don’t know who Jesus is get through this life? How do those who don’t know His love face the uncertainty of the day? How do those who don’t stand in His promises cope with their fear and deep sadness that is an inevitability to this life? Because I don’t think that I’d be able to function in this year alone if I didn’t have the steadfast faithfulness of God to lean into in days like these.

The day of Pentecost… In summary, a group of people gathers in one place, with one goal. Suddenly, God’s Spirit comes down and confuses their language. From there, the people scatter into the world. Does this remind you of a different Bible story? For me, I immediately go back to Genesis 11: The Tower of Babel. Think about it; a group of people gathered together with one goal– to build a city with a tower that reaches into the heavens– and God comes down to confuse their language and they end up scattered over the face of the Earth.

That co-worker. That ministry partner. That friend-of-a-friend. You already know who I’m talking about, and I didn’t even have to say anything. I’m talking about that person that grinds your gears before they even say a word to you. Let’s be real, fam. It’s impossible to get along with everyone, but sometimes, there are certain people that can get you sideways before anything even happens.

Earlier this week, while I was at school, I got the urge to look back on our old devotions from when we started Soul Deep. Without realizing it, I read one of the devotions that I wrote exactly a year ago from this week. It was called “The Power We Have in Unity” and I focused on the story of Joshua and the tumbling of the walls of Jericho. As I read my old devotional, I was so encouraged by it. It was almost like I couldn’t believe that I wrote it. After reading a few, God reminded me that we are still growing into new seasons, and as that happens, it’s important to appreciate where we once were and continue to grow from it.

Our country has been living through days and weeks full of heartbreak. We have seen life-altering events take place that have left people both speechless and driven to speak out. It has been a very difficult time for many families and individuals to wrap our heads around these horrifying events and the actions needed to prevent them from happening again. I am not writing this to air out my political views or voice my personal feelings. Quite honestly, that is irrelevant compared to the fact that God so badly wants to show us all His comfort and love in times such as these. That is what I want to share with you today because we all desperately need this revelation in one way or another.

It just absolutely blows my mind how God can completely use us in the most insane ways when we are “all in” for him! When we have a strong passion to glorify him in everything that we do and we put all our trust in what he has for us, we are unstoppable. Without God, we are mere weak human beings with no strength or wisdom. We think we can map it all out, but when God sets foot in our lives, forget about it! However, when he starts to direct our path, it's like nothing words can even describe. And when you put together a group of people determined to see God's will be done, amazing and beautiful things are most certainly bound to happen.