Psalm 46:10

From this proverb, I can perceive communication as a significant outlet, if not the only outlet of our true beliefs, or what we hold true in the core of our beings. Communication, by default, is the impartation of our beliefs to others. Whether this be in conscious words or unconscious gestures, we are constantly communicating. If nobody is around, we communicate with ourselves.

Daniel 12:4 expresses the exponential increase of knowledge as time comes to an end. What intrigues me is that as knowledge indeed increases, so communication also increases.

We’ve come a long way from sheets of papyrus. Now, gigabytes worth of not just manuscripts but actual audio and video recollections and records can be saved in thumb drives. We’ve come a long way from carrier pigeons. Now, unspoken communication down to real-time facial expressions and whole body gestures can be exchanged through video calls over a secure Internet connection.

Knowledge in communication guarantees the absolutely gargantuan increases in knowledge as a whole, and communication develops in form, quality, and quantity. Along with data, beliefs are no exemption to being expressed faster, and influence is also spread quicker. The impartation of our beliefs as individuals, groups, and as a species is brought to higher heights.

What does this mean? This entails that in the increase of knowledge and communication, our beliefs are edified, exposed, improved, destroyed, revealed, espoused, strengthened, and/or weakened, ultimately affected at faster rates. This increase is beneficial in its own ways, but at the price of our beings constantly brought before change and contention, in rates faster than we could ever imagine.

As beliefs serve as the backbone of many an identity, whether collective or individual, we see entire cultures covertly assimilated if not totally dominated, mindsets capturing one and eventually all in a family, churches and other organizations ‘selling-out’, all as a result of an increase in knowledge, and increase in communication. Words are truly made into weapons. Facts are repeated, edited, Photoshopped, twisted, all in the name of making their way into the hearts of man, under the pretense of becoming truth based on numbers or prominence.

The seas are growing stronger and wilder, and the winds are picking up. Even the greatest and heaviest of anchors, the most secure of beliefs (collective and/or individual in origin and form) are being moved. As a species, all we know to do is to bend or to break. We are either consumed and assimilated into the chaos, or we are absolutely torn down and destroyed by these forces of contention, made slaves to the more dominant status quo.

There are even times when it takes little to no effort at all for us to feel the storms that shake us, and to yield to the darkness that stalks us relentlessly. If the lies that run rampant in this day and age can be filtered out, the seeds of fear and doubt would ravage us from within. Even the staunchest among us can be brought to their knees in anxious defeat, without the world lifting a finger.

We must take a hard look at the truth, or rather, the rest of Daniel 12:4: “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” So much has been accomplished, but confusion – the death of peace, and the life of fear – runs rampant.

Fortunately, as Christians, we do have the option to walk by faith, and not by sight. We have what the Bible calls a Hope which serves as the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19). We are part of this world, co-partakers in the wrath and the collective consequences of centuries of sin – global warming, global conspiracies, pandemics, epidemics, conflict, scandal, and confusion. We, as the rest of the world, are subject to the same forces that twist minds and break hearts, the same powers of the air that attack from the outside and run rampant within…

…and though we cannot deny that we have brothers and sisters who have also fallen prey to the darkness, in Christ we are able to see beyond our senses and our feelings; we stand strong, yet not upon facts, but upon the Truth. For us to call Christ the Rock on whom we stand is no term for us to take lightly.

We have the option of facing this reality the way the rest of the world would face it; we would see the world from a ‘truth’ which is according to ourselves and our flesh, according to our abilities, pretensions, assumptions, theories proven and unproven. We have the option of walking and living this life by sight, or rather, what we literally see.

To the world, this is the only option, and not only is it so ingrained that the Christless would uphold it vehemently… as they and all without Christ run by fear by default, all other worldviews are eschewed, shunned, and outright opposed, down to the level of dealing shame, accusation, and literal death to ensure that the Gospel is silenced.

But we are not shaken. Let the storm try to destroy all that grace has built. Let the darkness try to consume the truth.

For even in absolute darkness and chaos, God spoke, ‘LET THERE BE LIGHT!’, and there was light.

In the strongest of storms, and through the wildest of waves, Christ spoke, ‘PEACE! BE STILL!’ and everything was calm.

God is who He is, and amidst the storm, His still, gentle voice resonates within us as a Father who loves each and every one of us… Straight to our hearts, He speaks light, and He speaks peace.

Here, unto forever. Amen.