“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3).
When we speak of faith, we mean the state in which we ultimately trust the unshaking One in order to stand firm in a world where the ground is shaking. When we call upon God, we mean that God is the steadfast Being. When we confess that God is love, the love is a steadfast love. When we call Jesus the Christ or the Savior, we mean Jesus is the steadfast image of love, unshaking humanity and the perfect image of God. Christian faith is the state to trust in Jesus as the truth and the way for human salvation in this world where the ground is shaking.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has shaken churches and Christians’ faith since 2020. Many churches closed their doors and worshiped online. Most churches began reopening the doors of the church for in-person services in 2022. But many church members have not yet returned to the church. Lifeway Research analyzes this phenomenon (2022). Church members who attended every Sunday before the pandemic now attend two or three times in a month. Those who attended Sunday worship service one or two times in a month have left their church. In this tragic pandemic, in the world where the ground is shaking, churches have lost members and many church members have lost faith even though faith is the state in which we ultimately trust in the unshaking One in a world where the ground is shaking.
Congratulations, you who are worshiping at St. Mark’s. You have survived and kept your faith in this tragic pandemic, in a world where the ground is shaking. Now, we would like to begin St. Mark’s long-term project for rebuilding St. Mark’s. The world is shaking; the wind is stronger; the waves become higher. But we have faith, the state in which we ultimately trust in the unshaking One, the steadfast love, the way and the truth, and the humanity in Jesus. We are together in Jesus, the ultimate and universal way. Even though the world is shaking, we continue walking with, working with and following Christ Jesus in 2023. Let us continue!
– Rev. Yong Sub Sim
