By Pastor Fred Tanizaki

When I was 12 years old, Los Angeles was ravaged by the Watts Riots. I was too young to fully understand the underlying issues. I saw (on our black and white TV) scenes of buildings and cars on fire, looting, and the National Guard marching down the streets of Los Angeles with bayonets mounted on their rifles. What I remember most was the stark absence of any smiles on the people who were shown on TV. I only saw anger and hatred. It was scary.

Twenty-seven years later, I was working for a company, near downtown Los Angeles. As I was about to get in the car to drive home to Fountain Valley, CA, I heard a lot of sirens and shouting in the streets. The riots sparked by the Rodney King trial verdict had begun. Somehow, I managed to dodge the rioting and got home safely in one piece. Once again, I saw anger and hatred. It was scary.

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose", which means “the more things change, the more things stay the same thing.” Twenty-eight years after the riots of 1992, and 55 years after the Watts riots, many people saw the homicide of George Floyd. Once again, we are witnessing so much anger and hatred. It’s still scary.

Though we cannot hide from these traumatic events, God’s people can experience peace that transcends the circumstances of this crazy world.

Philippians 4:4-7 says,
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If you have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, here are some things you can do now, especially in these times of so much turmoil. I’ve included some Bible verses that affirm these practices. God will equip you with His unique peace, that is not fragile, but will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

Rejoice in the Lord! You rejoice, not because you like your life circumstances, but because God loves you, and He promises to be with you always, even into eternity. (Joshua 1:9; Romans 8:38-39)
Be a witness of Jesus Christ to those around you. Jesus said that those who believe in Him are to be the light and salt, especially in this darkened world. Be good, do good. (Psalm 34:14; Galatians 6:9)
Pray to our God. He is not an aloof God. He is with us always. He hears our prayers and requests. We can trust that He will answer our prayers according to His infinite wisdom. (Psalm 55:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Be thankful, no matter what circumstances you might be facing. There’s something about being grateful that elevates us from the bondage of the difficulties of life. (1 Chronicles 16:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was right. Things in this world tend to stay the same, no matter how much the world appears to change. But he didn’t mention one other entity that stays the same. Our God never changes (Malachi 3:6; Isaiah 40:8). He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, though the world may always be in turmoil, those who believe in God through faith in Christ, will find everlasting hope and peace.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord shine His face upon you!

This devotional was shared in its original form on June 3 as an e-mail sent out to members of our Seniors Ministry. Pastor Fred may be contacted by e-mail at tanizaki@wintersburg.org. To join the Seniors Ministry e-mail list, please contact Claire Seki crseki@hotmail.com.

Peace in the Midst of Turmoil