Public Safety | Wayfarer

Chapter-a-Day Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT)

For a kid raise in landlocked Iowa, God gave me a sailor’s heart. My mom will gladly share stories with you stories of my childhood when I wore a sailor’s hat all the time. I would go to bed with it on and even jumped into the pool a few times forgetting it was still on my head. Perhaps my sailor’s heart is why I can still remember the old sea shanty “Blow Ye Winds” that we learned in Mrs. Gross’ 3rd grade class at Woodlawn Elementary School. In fact, it came to mind this morning as I read today’s chapter.

In case you didn’t hear about it, earlier this week an Italian court held two scientists guilty of manslaughter because they failed to accurately predict the severity of an impending earthquake. I can only imagine the ripple effect of this decision among scientists and meteorologists. Fearing the possibility that they might face legal challenges should they fail to predict the severity of an upcoming “act of God,” they will constantly cry wolf in a public game of C.Y.A. (aka: Cover Your A$$).

I often feel as if our culture has become one of fear, but we do it in the name of public safety. Schools start canceling classes, not because snow is actually falling, but because of the meteorologist’s threat. It’s as if our culture has become the helicopter parent who dresses her kid up like the marshmallow man because the temperature might just drop to freezing.

Forgive my little rant this morning, but I so appreciated the opening lyric of today’s psalm. Those who walk the path of faith are called to an eternal perspective that recognizes the sovereign designs of the Creator. Earthquakes and hurricanes will come, yet our trust should always trump our fear. I’m all for public safety and reasonable precaution, but I’m also against irrational fear and the cultural insanity it produces (remember Y2K?).

So blow ye winds of fortune, and blow ye winds heigh-ho! I’ll be alright.