As long as we walk with Jesus, hope wins.
Last week, I got to watch the annual country music awards. Being a country music fan, I usually watch at least some of the show. This year I was very interested to see how they the stars of country music would deal with the tragedy in Las Vegas. As a rule, country music artists tend to be a people of faith who regularly talk about and sing about Jesus.
How do Christians respond to tragedy?
I knew I was in the right place when the very first performer, Eric Church, sang “Amazing Grace.” What other genre of music would do that? Then they led into the 90’s song, “Hold My Hand,” by Hootie and the Blowfish, but they all came together.
They sang of peace, love and harmony and holding hands.
I don’t know that any genre of music has ever taken a blow like country music took. I wrote in an earlier post about how amazing the response was from the fans at the Las Vegas shooting, how they fearlessly rescued and cared for one another. Surely Jesus was among them.
Carrie Underwood began the monologue by acknowledging the tragedies that have struck the country music family this year. She then said,”So tonight, we’re going to do what families do: come together, pray together, cry together and sing together too.”
What would our world look like if all of our families did that?
Later in the show, she sang a tribute to all of the fallen and the song chosen was an old hymn; “Softly Tenderly Jesus is Calling.”
As a society, we like to use terms like, people of faith, or believers. We don’t talk about Jesus nearly as much as we talk about the church and all of its failings. We tend to equate the church with Jesus. We forget that it’s made up of broken people. Jesus is perfect.
The Bible tells us there is power in Jesus’ name.
As I watched Carrie Underwood singing the hymn I sang in church as a child, and all of the audience standing up in silence as she sang, “Ye who are weary come home,” I was reminded of the hope we have as Christians.
Yes, this past year has been rocked by tragedy all over our country and our world, yet as always, Jesus is calling us home. He’s calling us to rest in Him and walk with Him while on this side of eternity and then invites us to stay with Him forever on the other side.
This year’s award show reminded me that no matter what, if we walk with Jesus, hope wins. Perhaps you needed reminding today.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂