"May You Live In Interesting Times"

There’s a proverb and curse often attributed to the ancient Chinese, although the saying is actually of Western origin and relatively recent (dating back to 1950). The saying is: “May you live in interesting times” The implication of the curse is that “interesting times” are certain to be trouble-ridden and disturbing. It’s true that when we reflect on history, the most intriguing periods to read about are seemingly those in which dreadful events— wars, natural disasters, and social upheavals took place.

Today, we can rarely find a book that contains a chapter with a heading that says, “The Year Nothing Much Happened.” After all, no one wants to read about a year like that. Even in current events, journalists call it a “slow news day” when there are no tragic events to report. It’s also true that we certainly do live in “interesting times.” The news is constantly filled with “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). The economy is constantly struggling. We hear about horrific crimes like sniper shootings around the nation’s capital, and the threat of possible terrorist attacks. We read about the killings that have occurred in  Juarez, Mexico. The tales of political scandal and the infidelity of sports figures fill the morning papers and nightly newscasts.

Living in such a negative climate, it’s easy for Christians to become discouraged. We are inclined to sometimes think, “Who wants to hear the gospel of Christ when we live in such a dark and sinful world?” The majority of people we meet seem little interested in the word of God— if they’re interested in religion at all. And even if they are interested in religion, it’s the feel-good, do-as-you-please religion of modern America that appeals to them — not the often difficult and ever challenging truths of the Bible. We despair of ever finding anyone who will “receive the word with all readiness” as the noble Bereans did so long ago (Acts 17:11). But perhaps it’s all a matter of perspective.

We can look at a world of folks that seem disinterested in spiritual things and come to two conclusions — either there are people who will never listen to the gospel, or people who might listen if someone gave them the chance. If we take the former view, it is certain we will never convert anyone to Christ — we’re defeated before we begin. On the other hand, if we see opportunity instead of obstacles, we might be amazed at how fertile the harvest is (Matthew 9:37-38) when we dedicate ourselves to sowing, cultivation and reaping (Gal. 6:7; 2 Corinthians 9:6; cf. Proverbs 11:24).

Yes, we are indeed living in “interesting times” — not only because of the turbulence of national and world events, but also because of the limitless potential for the gospel. Never in the history of the world have there been as many people alive as there are today, which translates to more souls in need of saving than ever before. How we approach these “interesting times” will depend on how we “view” the people of the world who are lost in sin.

Dear reader, will we find these “interesting times” a curse, or a blessing?

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets