“The current fever dream has no chance against the forces of love. Love is a spotlight in the dark stage that you can go stand in, right in this minute, or later today, maybe after lunch, as soon as you remember and decide to.” Anne Lamott
It is kind of hard to not think we are fever dreaming at the moment
Each day when I open up the news I slowly peek through my eyes, take a breath, say a prayer and dive in. What has happened today? They said what? Can anyone get along? It does indeed feel like a fever dream. What is a fever dream? Fever dreams are vivid, often bizarre or unpleasant dreams sleepers can experience when they have a fever. If you have ever watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, (The Gene Wilder version) you might remember when the kids were going down the chocolate river in somewhat of a psychedelic haze while Willy Wonka sings a weird song. That to me is what we are going through in the world at the moment.
What can we do to combat the fever dream?
We can remember that our faith is in God, not the world. Psalm 56:3-4 admonishes us that when we are afraid to put our trust in God. Is it hard? Absolutely. I find myself in a state of constant worry about what is going to happen next. The world seems as if it is on the brink of war, there are major elections coming up, prices are high, it seems that everyone has picked their tribe rather than unity.
What does it mean to trust?
To trust means to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength in something or someone. Our someone is God and His word. In the first book of Joshua, we see that Joshua himself has taken up the mantle of Moses, the great leader. Moses, who had crossed the Red Sea, He had received the Ten Commandments, and the burning bush. Moses had dwelled in the very presence of God. Those were big shoes to fill. As Joshua took up the mantle, God gave him some words of admonition: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” We must, in the face of all that is going on around us, pray and rely on God.
The fever dream is likely to go on
The fever dream seems like it is getting faster and faster. In the original Willy Wonka movie, as the kids continue to travel down the chocolate river, the boat goes faster and faster, the occupants get more and more concerned, someone screams and then the boat abruptly stops. After that stop, there is peace. It may be a silly connection, but I think of prayer and reliance on God as the stop after the swirling crazy that is going on around you. After all, Jesus slept in the midst of a crazy storm. The scripture says that he slept on the stern of the boat on a pillow as the storms raged around him. He only got up because the disciples were very afraid the boat would sink. He spoke 3 words (in the NIV version), “Quiet! Be Still!” There was immediate quiet.
Perhaps reading Scripture and meditation will quiet the fever dream
When Jesus spoke those words, the sea, however much reluctant, had to obey his command. I often think of scripture as the acetaminophen of life. There is much sickness around us, the fever is probably really, really high. Take a couple of acetaminophen pills (scriputes) and your temperature will come back to normal. All that is screaming around you may not go away, but you have the peace that passes all understanding. I leave you with a quote from Zanemvula Miza: “Peace in the midst of a storm is power.”
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