Keep Calm and Carry On
Dan Kunz
The very recognizable “Keep Calm” poster and its various derivatives have their origin in pre-World War II Great Britain. Over two million copies of the poster were printed and were intended to raise the morale of the British people, who faced the very real possibility of a savage bombing campaign by Germany. (Sounds a lot like Ukraine today, doesn’t it?) This poster was the focus of the non-traditional worship service which I led at our church last Sunday night. The sermon/Bible Study was based on the words of Ecclesiastes 10:4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not abandon your post, because keeping calm puts serious sins to rest. Solomon’s encouragement to “keep calm” is especially meaningful for you and I as Christians. Because we know our God is in control of all things, Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him, you and I really can keep calm.
As the saying goes, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.” Ultimately, we have little or no control over most things in our lives, but we know that our Heavenly Father, who loves us dearly, does control things for our benefit.
God sometimes has interesting ways of teaching us to keep calm. My wife and I attended God’s “school of life” this week. We made plans over two years ago to join Time of Grace, Kingdom Workers, and Wisconsin Lutheran College’s tour of Israel. Then COVID intervened. Literally a few days before our planned departure, the trip had to be postponed because of the pandemic! Over the next twenty-four months, the would-be travelers had to decide several times, whether to stay patient or “pull the plug” and cancel their tickets. We opted to stay patient.
Our patience was rewarded earlier this year when the tour was officially “on”. We watched documentaries, read books, and made plans. March 15 was fast approaching! Two days before the trip, we both got the required COVID test at our local health care facility. As a matter of fact, we scheduled tests at two different facilities, to be on the safe side. On Monday, the day before our planned departure from O’Hare in Chicago, my wife got the word – both of her test came back positive! After two years of anticipation, our trip to walk the land that Jesus walked, was over. Disappointed? Frustrated? Angry at the virus? All of the above, but calm. Believe me, I probably wouldn’t have been calm a few years ago, but God performed a miracle. He actually created calmness in a guy who would normally would have been complaining and whining for months. Calmness through trust in God’s ultimate plan for us is an amazing gift. He’d like all of us to have this gift.
Such trust, which results in calmness for our mind and spirit, isn’t always easy. I can’t imagine remaining calm if I lived in or anywhere near the current war zone. As a matter of fact, a lot of people all over the world are anything but calm, because of what we see daily on TV, our phones, or our laptops. It’s a real challenge to trust God to that degree. God’s Word, prayer, and the support of Christian family and friends can be invaluable for keeping calm. Think of a child in a car seat while Mom or Dad drive somewhere – complete trust, complete calm. When we ponder God’s love for us, his plan for us, and his control over all things, we really can “keep calm and carry on”!