Distracted by the drama

As I sat in this familiar board room, with the sound of rain pouring down on the acoustic tin roof that shielded us from the storm, I could feel the tension starting to rise as many of those present rose to defend themselves while subtly lashing out in a confrontational, yet orderly waltz. It has been a few weeks since the rug was pulled out from under us with a sudden change in authorities, and most of us are still regaining our footing. And it is in this season of transition that I have come to see a new side of humanity. There is a fascinating drive to maintain status quo while keeping friends and enemies at a superficial distance that will be useful but not threatening; to be utterly distracted yet intensely focused. Government entities are set up this way, at least here in Guatemala. As quickly as one person is appointed, a movement to dethrone them is already on the way, provoking waves of uncertainty and doubt. These kinds of situations where we, as humans, feel threatened in some way, whether that be in our jobs, in our home life or on a deeply personal level, generally provoke predictable behaviours from us. Although we are quick to hide behind our degrees, declarations and diplomacy, a sense of feeling threatened lights a match to a well-know neurological  pathway whose fuse blows up in manipulative and confrontational behaviour. I have seen this as much in my two-year-olds as in the adept and accomplished lawyer who sat a few chairs down from me. We feel threatened because we don't feel safe. We don't feel safe because we don't know who to trust. All of these transition and interpersonal struggles are currently magnified by the current high profile political turmoil played out as a bureaucratic soap opera coming out with brand new episodes every day. #crisis.

I clearly recall two years ago, when the then-Guatemalan president was caught in unprecedented corruption scandals and was eventually cornered by societal outcry into a hesitant resignation. I can remember refreshing my Twitter every twenty minutes (much to my wife's dismay), as the political drama was just too important and entertaining to miss. Every conversation revolved around the news of the day and it wasn't long before I had been completely wrapped up in a battle that was not my own and distracting me from where my attention needed to be. As if the scales had suddenly fallen from my eyes, I promptly deleted my news apps and ran to a place of reflection and repentance. So now, two years later, as the drama is reborn and I find myself uncomfortably close to the action, I seek to put into practice the lessons I have learned. Instead of buying into to it, I feel capable enough to sense the threat and uncertainty and remember that my roots spread much deeper than the soil of this world. When I am tempted to replace the most important things in life with trivial tweets and posts, I am learning to speak hope into those situations and be the ambassador of Jesus I was born to be. Failure is a familiar foe, and I confess that in lieu of shining brightly this evening in that board room, several of my fellow attendees may have caught me rolling my eyes and slouching in despair. BUT. I can look back over the past two years and see how God has led me by my the hand, and guided my reluctant heart to broaden my perspective and focus my spirit. It is so easy to get caught up in the drama that life offers, but my prayer is that God would look down on His beloved children, the ones whose adoption cost Him everything, and would see hearts that aren't distracted and distraught. That He would see us remembering daily just who He is, what He has done and where the story is leading. What this world so desperately needs, whether we are currently waist high in flood waters or political turmoil, is hope. And God's plan A to bring hope to this broken world in the most desperate of situations is that we would inject Jesus into the picture, focus the frame and reach into those broken and needy lives that He was willing to give his life for. For the change I long to see in this beautiful country, and for the lives that are longing for a hope that does not fade, let us continue to walk, not distracted by the bright lights and loud music, but focused on the gentle voice that is the true source of life.