Jars of Clay…hope when perplexed

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

2020 is definitely one for the history books. What details will you cling to? For instance, where were you when JFK was shot? I was on my way with my mom to have my prom dress altered. On 9/11 I had turned on Fox News as I dressed for Tuesday morning Bible study, in time to see the second tower fall. My husband, September 1945, vividly remembers his mom propelling his terrified 4-year-old self past the barricade at the Vancouver (BC) train station to meet this uniformed stranger who tossed him in the air asking, “Where did you get that red hair?” 

And how about pandemics? The year I was 10, 52,000+ U.S. children were infected with polio. The virus thrived in summer. All public swimming pools were closed, plus we were forbidden to run through our sprinklers to cool off. Lucky for us, vaccinations were in the works. Then there were measles and chickenpox and mumps parties to get the inevitable over before we started school. Why in the world parents ever thought that was a good idea is beyond me! And in 2003 SARS seemed remote, although it became the bane of some of my husband’s medical school classmates, quarantined in Toronto hospitals for the duration. Then poof—no more SARS!

I learned a new word from the experts: solipsism—ego-driven selfishness, according to Webster. Basically things don’t matter unless they affect you personally—that’s way over there, in China. We succumb to the first of Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief/loss—denial. Next comes anger—really, you’re not letting me go to my girlfriend’s house; followed by bargaining—ok, I’ll stay away for two weeks but that’s it; depression—woe is me, how will I ever get through this; and finally acceptance—guess I need to figure out how to make the best use of my time.

Oh 2020, you have impressed us with the fragility of our jars of clay. And yet we have hope. We have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (4:6) embedded deep in our souls. Despite the perplexities of our todays, we are neither crushed nor in despair, not abandoned nor destroyed. 

Nancy P