³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ….. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35, 38-39

I started writing reflections on hopeful scriptures when our world was being faced with the novel coronavirus. Now, with that virus still a threatening presence in our daily lives, the added threats of protests, violence, and civil unrest are confronting us all. And I need more hope.

The Apostle Paul also knew about being confronted by multiple challenges as he wrote to the Christians in Rome.

What was there to fear?

Death

Rulers

Powers

Things present and things to come

Those are all real items to fear. But Paul shared the good news that nothing of these would ever separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ.

This passage was set to music years ago. I learned a little song in my high school youth group that has provided hope in some trying times. I still sing this (under my breath or right out loud) when I wish to be hopeful:

For I’m persuaded to believe that you can’t separate us from the wonderful love of God
For above He will send us and will come to live within us while in this sinful world we trod
Neither height nor depth nor principalities, things present nor things to come
And though the devil hates us he will never separate us from the wonderful love of God

How do we face a virus?
How do we face a mob?
How do we face hatred and anger and misunderstanding?

I add those to the list of things (hardship, distress, persecution, famine, life, death, powers, principalities) that can’t stop God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Thank You, God for loving me, in Christ Jesus my Lord. Amen