tragedy and monotony: two killers

There are two things that happen in all of our lives that can become obstacles to faith. All humans face times of tragedy and monotony, crisis and boredom. And both the tragic and the monotonous times can be great barriers to faith.

Surprisingly, even though tragedies sound far more sinister and hazardous to faith, people often respond better to the tough times than the monotonous ones. I am constantly amazed by the strength and resilience in people as they rise up during their times of tragedy or challenge. Certainly, times of crisis can derail a person’s faith—and I have seen many people question God’s protection, care, or even His existence during those times—but more often than not people actually rise up during times of tragedy.

It is often in times of boredom or monotony that people struggle the most. During times of tragedy, people tend to rise up but during times of boredom, people tend to drift. When we are bored, bogged down, or plodding through the status quo we are vulnerable to questioning our values, yielding to temptation, or drifting from our faith.

So, whether you are in a time of great tragedy or great monotony, please be on guard. We need to protect our souls during both crisis and boredom. We must remember that there is a greater way to live. It is a way of faith, love, and hope that is found exclusively in the person of Jesus Christ. I hope you are not staring into a tragedy today, but I also hope that you are not drifting through some treacherous monotony. Both can be damaging to the soul.