The call to keep calm and carry on is apt for us as we continue our journey that is punctuated with changes and transitions
Very few of us would really be able to relate to what the Israelites experienced during those 40 years of wandering. In Exodus, we read the amazing story of how God led thousands of Israelites out of the oppressive environment in Egypt with the promise of a land of their own that was flowing with milk and honey. There was no doubt Yahweh was on their side as they witnessed repeatedly the miraculous works of God from the 10 plagues to the defining moment of the parting of the Red Sea. Filled with hope and faith, they packed up their lives and, in obedience, left overnight.
But it didn’t take long for the exhilaration of the supernatural exodus to give way to doubt and fear. What started off as a promising journey was slowly turning into a dreadful experience. There was no way to know when the pillar of cloud or fire would move and they would have to pack everything up and relocate.
Yet there was never a moment that God was not with them. He sustained them (again, miraculously) and protected them. All He asked of them was to trust and obey Him as He led.
If I put myself in their shoes, I fear that I could have been one of those who complained endlessly. After living in Asia for 17 years, my family moved cross-continent 15 months ago. Since then, we have moved house three times. The constant change and transition are exhausting. We long for some constancy. At each sojourn, we hope to remain longer, but the Lord is moving us along – keeping us guessing His destination for us.
Many of you who identify with our experience also know (often, retrospectively) that life with God is always stretching us towards growth and His goodness. No doubt our trust and reliance on the Lord have grown during the times that our faith is tested. It’s so easy to fall into complacency and self-reliance when there is constancy and stability, and that is not the way we’re meant to live as followers of Jesus.
Organisationally, OM has been going through a series of changes and transitions. While OM has constantly evolved, our last 10 years’ journey was filled with intentional and significant changes. Then, there’s our new vision/mission to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers, the Holy Ambition, Project Yalla!, new Guiding Values and more. A leader recently remarked that one of his highlights of ILM 2024 was that nothing new was rolled out. Are we experiencing change fatigue as an organisation?
While it’s understandable that we’re tired from having to keep up with these transitions and adapt to these changes, they are necessary for growth. If we are to see the Kingdom of God grow, then we must be open to whatever it takes for us to play our role in God’s mission. If it’s time to un-pitch our tents and move with the pillar of cloud or fire, then we must do so, even when it means our lives would be disrupted and we have to step into our discomfort zone.
By now, you must have encountered at least one version of the “Keep Calm and…” series on social media. Keep Calm and Carry On was a motivational poster by the United Kingdom government in 1939 as they prepared for World War II. It was meant to strengthen the morale of the nation as it braced itself for impending wartime disaster.
This call to keep calm and carry on is apt for us as we continue our journey that is punctuated with changes and transitions. We can keep calm because we are aware that we are not alone in this: God is with us. His Spirit guides us and gives us peace (John 14:26-27). We can also carry on because, even though we are jars of clay, God’s surpassing power is with us:
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:8-11, ESV).
So, let’s keep calm and carry on.
Article originally published May 2024.
I'Ching Chan-Thomas is an experienced apologetics speaker, with a specialisation in the relevancy of Christianity in the Eastern cultural context. Her book, Jesus: The Path to Human Flourishing (Graceworks, 2018), explores the commonalities between the gospel and Confucius’ ideal of human flourishing. I'Ching oversees the resourcing division of OM.