When I was in elementary school in 1950s Los Angeles, we would practice hiding under our desks and covering our heads whenever the teacher would shout “Drop” so that we would know what to do if there were an earthquake or a nuclear bomb. And at 10am on the last Friday of every month, the civil defense sirens would sound, and there would be an announcement on the TV and radio that said something like “This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test.” These drop drills and test signals were designed to make sure that when there was a real emergency, all the equipment would work to keep us safe and everybody would know what they were supposed to do.
While many translations say that Jesus was tempted when he spent forty days in the desert after his baptism,* the New International Version says that he was tested. In refusing to turn stones into bread when he was very hungry, refusing to worship Satan in exchange for earthly power, and refusing to jump off a high tower to see if angels would keep him from falling, Jesus showed that he was not interested in personal gain, lording it over others, or challenging God’s promise to protect him.
Today, we who claim to follow Jesus are being tested. Will I follow his example and do without some things that I want so that others can have what they need? Will I stand with and protect others at risk to my own safety and comfort? Am I able to trust that God will give me the strength and courage to live through difficult, scary times? This is not “only” a test. It is the real thing.
-- Deborah Sokolove Yakushiji, Seekers Church
For More
For more on being tested and what to do when the powers and principalities are destroying important institutions, read Diana Butler Bass’s recent posts on standing up to falsehood, loving our enemies, and changing our minds while getting others to change theirs.
