We wait until Pandora’s box is opened before we say, ‘Wow, maybe we should understand what’s in that box.’  This is the story of humans on every problem.” – Peter Singer

“Pandora’s box had been opened and monsters had come out.  But there had been something hidden at the bottom of Pandora’s box – something wonderful.  Hope. – Lisa Marie Rice

Lately I’ve been thinking about what is happening in our world and wondering if there is even the slightest chance of things returning to a state we once thought of as normal.  The more I think about it, the more I tend to agree with this quote from Selena Kitt: “Pandora’s box could not be unopened, no one could return to Eden.”

So many “Pandora boxes” have opened in the last few years that I don’t believe can ever be unopened or reversed.

Will we ever watch the news and trust it to be objective again or has the “fake news” box been cracked open for good?  Are facts less important than personal opinion? Will elections come and go without doubting their integrity regardless of your party affiliation?  Will we ever look at our history the same – cherishing its accuracy so we can learn and grow, or can it now be distorted and manipulated to support any agenda moving forward?

Can we ever speak our opinion again if it’s against what the mainstream deems appropriate?  Will one’s character or individual freedom ever take precedence again or will the color of your skin now automatically determine if you are an oppressor or someone systematically oppressed?   Will gender be forever viewed as fluid and a social construct versus a biological, scientific fact? More importantly, if you happen to disagree, will you automatically be labeled as “phobic” and an intolerant bigot – even if you believe in freedom of expression and equal rights for all? 

Will personal medical choices now be anything but an individual decision or can governments and corporations now mandate what medicine you take going forward?  Will we ever get on social media again without wondering how we are being manipulated for the purpose of profits – only being shown information the parent company wants us to see or information that will keep us engaged?  Will “fact checkers” ever be concerned with nothing but the facts?

Hard to contemplate these questions and even harder to imagine how they will evolve from here, but like the Pandora’s box mythology, something wonderful lies at the bottom of the box itself – Hope.

But the Greeks believed that hope was the greatest of all evils for in it lied the potential for a deceptive form of expectation. 

Can we place our hope in humanity?  Can we really expect people, governments, and businesses to forego personal gain for the common good?  In our humanness, can our actions and decisions default instinctively, robotically and impulsively toward compassion, justice, and grace?  Do we have it in us individually and as a society to do this?

I’m sorry to say my friend I don’t think we can.  In fact, I believe the sovereign allowance of the boxes that have been irreversibly opened have a divine purpose behind them:  To show us how desperately we need God and the ultimate hope He provides.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” – Isaiah 40:31

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” – Psalm 25:5

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His Word, I put my hope.” – Psalm 130:5

I’m not trying to be a doomsayer or to introduce my own brand of prophetic analysis of all that is happening currently.  I am trying to glean truth from God’s Word – giving each of us hope, discernment, and peace as we observe and participate in all that is unfolding around us.  Mankind alone doesn’t have the answers to all the Pandora boxes that have been opened, but our hope can rest in a God who does 😊

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever’.  And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’  – Revelations 21: 1, 3-5 NLT

My friend, things won’t go back to the way they used to be.  These events are moving us and preparing us for what lies ahead.

What lies ahead maybe years, decades, and centuries in the making or it maybe months, days or hours away.

“But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the Day of God when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”  – 2 Peter 3: 10-13

Tonight, realize we cannot change the course of this universe, but we can change our individual actions in the meantime – affecting the little piece of this world each of us touch and engage in daily as Peter mentions above.  We can turn our hope toward God, not humanity – having assurance in His plans for us – promising to “make all things new” in His time 😊 

Rest in the peace that comes with this truth!  God bless you always my friend 😊