The news can often be depressing, especially with the increase in international conflicts and the rise in the political divide at home.
Many of us may be tempted to flee from the world, choosing to ignore whatever is happening and hoping that our absence won't be noticed.
Is this a proper Christian response to the crisis the world is currently in?
Staying faithful to Christ in the world
St. John Paul II urged Christians not to retreat, but to be a beacon of hope in the midst of conflict in his address to government leaders during the Jubilee Year of 2000:
For Christians today, it is not a question of fleeing the world in which God's call has placed then, but rather of bearing witness to their own faith and being faithful to their own principles in the difficult and ever new situations which mark the world of politics.
St. John Paul II was not ignorant of the tumultuous times in which we live and recognized that it is not easy to stay in the world.
However, he did provide a ray of hope in the darkness, reminding us that Jesus is Lord:
As Christians living in these formidable and yet wonderful times, we share in the fears, the uncertainties and the questioning of our contemporaries. Yet we are not pessimistic about the future, for we have the certainty that Jesus Christ is the Lord of history, and in the Gospel we find the light which illumines our way, even in moments of difficulty and darkness.
Above all, we need to discern our place in the world and what God is calling us to accomplish.
Some of us will be called to be public and vocal witnesses to Christ, while others will simply be challenged to raise a family in a culture that is opposed to its flourishing.
The good news is that Jesus is in charge and that whatever might happen in the world, he is there at our side.
