Surprisingly, in our time, even Christians do not consider it to be a problem when they disregard God. Meanwhile, we have all forgotten Him in one way or another. Certainly, we go to church, regularly partake of the Holy Sacraments, and pray daily. However, at all other times when we are not engaged in prayer and not burdened with problems, where is God? Do we remember Him when we make plans? Do we remember Him when there is a chance to do good? Do we recall Him when there is a temptation? Does nature remind us of His wisdom? Does the love of our loved ones remind us of His love? Do we want to thank God on a sunny morning? Can we remain calm and rely on Him in trouble? If the bulk of our time is filled with vanity, anxiety, fear and anguish, then rest assured: we have indeed forgotten God and pushed Him to the fringe of our consciousness. We have grown accustomed to living without Him.
Now, there’s this new disease… This is an extremely valuable lesson for the humankind: all its achievements, all the conceivable and unimaginable benefits of civilization, everything that it could rightfully be proud of, loses its value in the face of a pandemic, if it cannot help.
Is it not the right time to recall God?
See for yourself: first of all, any local or global calamity is nothing but a visitation from God. The purpose of the visit is to save man. And there is a lot to save man from. From the reprobate way of life that is now customary, to outright moral salaciousness, which is nowadays considered the norm and sometimes even encouraged. Secondly, such shocks easily and quickly make it clear to the person what he really is and on whom he really depends. Third, the lack of confidence in anything or anyone makes one able to truly trust God. By the way, this is how the true faith is born. This faith is based on trust and is inextricably linked with that trust. Jesus’s commandment, “Be like children”, is also valid when it comes to faith. While believing in God, a Christian must also trust Him, just like a child trusts his parents. Those who have children know how babies act in the arms of their father or mother. You can just hold the baby, play with him, or even playfully throw him up in the air. The child tends to laugh and be happy during all these activities. He is completely relaxed because he trusts his parents and their hands. This is how a person should be able to trust God. Trust in God, the assurance of His goodness and the saving grace of His Will must not fail a Christian in any life situation: in joy, in trouble, in the face of trials or adversity. The genuine faith, which is righteous and saving, is always built upon trust.
Well, everything is more or less clear with faith and hope: life itself teaches us, whether we want it or not. In general, we need to learn to treat God in such a way that we do not forget Him.
For this purpose it is worth turning to the Psalms to see how the authors of Psalms treat God. They worship Him, fear Him, and serve Him in trembling. At the same time, they love God, are comforted by Him, rejoice in Him, and admire Him. They literally live and breathe God, trusting Him like children; they are afraid, almost like the saints who live in the era of the Gospels, of desecrating His infinite love for mankind with their own sins.
Once one absorbs the spirit of sacred poetry, the commandment of unconditional and absolute love for God will no longer seem abstract or impracticable. Faith will become alive and hope will become effective. Meanwhile, the presence of God in our lives will become so obvious and tangible that it will be absolutely impossible to forget Him.
Translated by The Catalogue of Good Deeds
