of building bunkers and the sovereign source

Did anyone else sing that mind-bending children’s song growing up, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”?

You know the one. I didn’t grow up in evangelical circles (something I am sometimes quite thankful for) and one of the few God-songs that I remember is the “Whole World” song. The song never ended. After the whole world, you start singing about oceans and jungles and fish and birds. Eventually, the teacher is straining to keep it up and you’re singing things like “He’s got the whole state of Idaho in His hands…” and kids are looking at each other like they’ve been tricked or something. It was bad enough that our little brains had to imagine big grandfatherly hands holding the whole world. Forcing us to be cognizant of geography at the same time? Torturous.

I think it is our aversion to such an idea, really an aversion to believe that we are not in control and supreme, that causes us to give the idea of Godly sovereignty such a tepid response.

For example, Obama wins an election and, to paraphrase Matt Chandler, some of us are celebrating in the streets and others of us are building bunkers and stockpiling weapons. As if we are sure we have righted the ship or we are pretty sure that the whole world is about to burn… Like, God is up in heaven scratching his head and trying to come up with a Plan B since he never saw a Democratic victory coming? I just don’t see Creator God (who has already written the end of the story) watching CNN waiting to see what His next move needs to be, especially since the story being told here is not an American story or a 21st century story, or an economics story or a human story.

We are simply bit players in the middle of a redemption story, the greatest story ever told. It is a narrative about the redeeming, merciful, all-powerful Source of light and life.

Come on out of the bunkers, people. Take a few deep breaths. Lift up your heads.

Sing it with me: “He’s got the whole world…”