Opinion: Our refuge in these scary times

A small community survey I carried out at the Easter Saturday market found that some people liked living in Leighton Buzzard because it was a friendly place, had an old market-town feel, and independent shops. Yet there was also frustration about ongoing needs in our community: more should be done for young people, for older people, and for a local hospital or health centre.

We can feel powerless when thinking about local needs; how much more so when considering what’s happening in the wider world. Many conversations came around to the Iran war and what would happen next. One person said I can’t stop checking the news on my phone to see what will happen next. I guess I need to recognise that I am not in control.

We often want governments and leaders to have answers, to fix everything. Yet they’re human, limited, and fallible. They cannot change hearts, stop all wars or create endless resources. Isn’t it true that we can expect too much from human systems and too little from God? The Bible reminds us in Psalm 46 that even when nations rage, and the world is in turmoil, there is a higher authority at work.  The psalm reminds us to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

This does not mean doing nothing. It means recognising what we cannot control, while focusing on what we can: caring for one another, strengthening our community, and seeking God in prayer. In a tumultuous world, faith offers an anchor. When everything else feels uncertain, God remains a refuge. An unshakable, loving presence.

Here is a short prayer you may find helpful: Dear Lord, you are our refuge and help we need when the world seems out of control. Let me be still before you and acknowledge you truly are almighty God. Be our refuge in these scary times, in Jesus’s name, Amen.