Readings for today: Psalms 49, 84, 85, 87
I am a bit of a Star Trek fan. Especially the new movies. One of the scenes that intrigues me the most is the “Kobayashi Maru.” A training exercise developed for cadets which places them in a no-win scenario. The simulation was developed by Spock - at least according to the new movies - and the only cadet to ever beat the test was Jim Kirk though he had to cheat to do it. The point of the exercise is to help a potential captain understand their own limitations, test their character, and teach them how to manage an unmanageable situation in a non-anxious way.
I think about where we find ourselves today. Our political leaders are facing a true “no-win” scenario. On the one hand, they must employ lockdowns and “stay at home” orders in order to prevent the spread of a dangerous and novel viral strain. These extreme measures, along with social distancing, have flattened the curve and helped prevent deaths. However, the economy has now crashed, putting millions out of work not just here in America but around the world. This has created a potential famine that will impact up to 250 million people according to the BBC. People are beginning to realize that the ability to remain home and safely shelter in place is a privilege only the globally wealthy enjoy. The extreme poor simply do not have this choice. If they remain home, they will starve to death. To add yet another layer to this already challenging scenario is the growing mental health crisis. Crisis lines are burning up with people struggling from social isolation, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Truly, we are facing a crisis of biblical proportions!
Sadly, so many of our leaders are failing the test. They are failing to manage their own fear and anxiety and often end up lashing out in divisive ways. They attempt to score political points on their opponents. They accuse each other of having the blood of innocents on their hands. They don’t want to “waste this crisis” and have started promoted economic and social revolution. They proudly and arrogantly proclaim they have the solution to make sure something like this never happens again as if keeping such a promise were even possible. They tell us that even “one death” is unacceptable but that’s simply not facing reality. People are going to die in this crisis. Either from the disease or from the “cure.” Again, it’s a no-win situation. There are no easy answers. No clear path back to normalcy.
So how does a Christian respond when faced with a “Kobayashi Maru?” We lament. We fall on our faces before the Lord. We humble ourselves before God. We acknowledge our own limitations. We refuse to trust in our own resources. Our own talent. Our own wisdom. Our own strength. We recognize such ways only lead to more death. “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.” (Psalm (49:12-14) You and I are dust. We were made from dust and to dust we shall return. We are weak and frail. We are vulnerable and fragile. We are foolish and myopic. We are such self-centered creatures.
Why do we feel like the crisis we find ourselves in is a “no-win” scenario? Because we are limiting ourselves to the horizons of this world. We are confining ourselves to life on this earth. We have lost sight of the eternity God offers us in Jesus Christ. I love how the Psalmist proclaims the good news of the gospel. Pointing us in faith to the hope we have in God. “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.“ (Psalm 49:15) Death has no hold over the true believer. The true Christian faces death not as an adversary but as a vanquished foe. Death has no hold on us. No power over us. No authority to condemn us. For on the Cross at Calvary, Jesus Christ met death in all his macabre glory and put him to shame. He disarmed death, making a mockery of him. Friends, there is no such thing as a “no-win” scenario to God! He has “cheated” death by raising His Son from the grave. He has “robbed” death of her greatest prize! He has defeated death once and for all! And all those who place their trust in Him can know the same victory in their own lives as well.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 3-5