March 2023

Dear Cobham Park Church Family,
Every day, I notice new litter in my yard by Richmond Road. As I enter or exit my driveway, I therefore pause to park my truck, hop out, and pick up discarded bottles, cans, food wrappers, lottery tickets, construction debris, and other trash. Every. Single. Day.
I know that I’m not the only person with a litter issue. I also understand that this tiny trial is ridiculously insignificant compared with many problems in the world today. Nevertheless, my daily irritation adds up. After working to keep my lawn clean, the sight of freshly gifted garbage leaves me feeling angry at how inconsiderate some people are. It’s sad to see God’s beautiful creation made ugly. And my total lack of control over this situation is discouraging. I don’t know who is littering, why they are doing it, or what I could possibly do to stop it. My endless cleanup operation feels useless. After all, I’ll wake up tomorrow to more of the same…
As I was picking up a handful of new trash yesterday, I realized that my frustration builds on a deeper problem. Each day, I wake up to face the world. I have many little morning rituals which help me gather strength: prayers, cups of coffee, Bible reading, bathing, breakfast, getting dressed, and checking the news. But soon, the world’s trash litters my thinking…again. Tasks demand to be completed, worries escalate, distractions crowd my attention, and the world’s news leaves me feeling angry, sad, and out of control. Every week, my conversations with you confirm that you are struggling too. Many of you are overwhelmed with the spiritual garbage that is daily thrown your way. Like me, you probably rely on editorial news sources which have been deliberately designed to feed our addiction to outrage. What passes as “entertainment” on our screens is…well, don’t get me started. Meanwhile, the Lord’s joy drifts further away. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up to more of the same…
Is Christianity beginning to feel like a useless cleanup operation? Does it seem like we are being daily buried under the world’s trash? On my drive to church this morning, I heard a song on the radio called “Is He Worthy?” by Andrew Peterson and Ben Shive. The first words spoke to my littered heart:
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do.)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do.)
But do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through? (We do.)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do.)
Have you forgotten that the Lord will have His way in the end—that a new creation is on its way? The world’s mighty mess is no match for God! In Christ, your life is neither helpless nor hopeless. Discover joy again! Let His light clear the litter from your mind!
In His Love,
Pastor Keith