Word of the Year
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
The Collins English Dictionary revealed its word of the year this month for 2022.
There were a number of words that were popular or new terms. Words like Kyiv because of the war in Ukraine. Words like quiet quitting that refers to people staying on the job but doing as little work as possible and no more than necessary in order to stay employed.
A strange word that was featured was splooting. It simply means to lay on your stomach with your legs stretched out.
None of those words, however, became the word of the year.
The publisher of the dictionary instead chose the word permacrisis as the word of the year.
The official definition is “an extended period of instability and insecurity, especially one resulting from a series of catastrophic events.”
Writer David Shariatmadari wrote regarding the choice of this word and stated that, “the term embodies the dizzying sense of lurching from one unprecedented event to another as people wonder what new horrors might be around the corner.”
Does that sound like something that was predicted many years ago? Jesus clearly told us these words:
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end in not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
Jesus was telling us long ago that this world really is going to be in a permacrisis. That this is going to be the way of life in this world. A sad way of life, no doubt, but the way of the present and the future.
Notice, however, what Jesus says.
See that you are not troubled.
These things will happen and, of course, we as Christians can work in this world to help relieve pain and suffering that takes place as a result.
However, there is more. Jesus wants us to stay focused on walking with Him. There is then the assurance of salvation. He also wants us to stay focused on mission. The gospel to the entire world.
Notice these words in Matthew 24: 13,14
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Yes, we may be in a state of permacrisis as far as the world is concerned. More importantly we can be a state of calm assurance that Jesus is our Savior and Lord and that He will be with us in this troubled world and that he will also help us be faithful in sharing the good news.