Panic as a group activity

     I have had private moments of panic, like when someone pulls out in front of me on an icy road, or missing my freeway exit in a big city or family crisis like my son getting chicken pox days before our Disney World trip. But I'm not a fan of panic as a group activity. Some Christians might be disappointed that I refuse to join them in panicking over the political/economic/world situation.  I have no intention of boning up to be a well informed worrier by watching hours of FOX news. Some believe those of us who refuse to join the panic are idealistic or uninformed.  I prefer the words hopeful or trusting.  I believe that of all the people living on the earth today, Christians should be the most hopeful.  We are, presumably, the only ones who know God is sovereign.  I believe we are called to be good stewards of the lives and planet God has given us, but He is its King.  Therefore, I refuse to worry until God decides to stop being sovereign, and since God is also immutable, I don't expect to be worrying anytime soon.
     I enjoy writing about the sin of worry because it's one I'm not particularly good at, and it's lots more fun to contemplate other people's sin. One of the things I learned at BSF is that worry, at its core, is a statement about God; it is saying either God is not good enough, or God is not powerful enough to take care of me. The current Christian paranoia is like a generic version of the sin of gossip, only instead of running down individuals, one can run down entire groups of people like liberals or environmentalists, etc. I don't think we  dilute the sin of disdain by expanding its borders. That is one of the reasons I don't follow what I call PNN, paranoid news network, I am already arrogant enough without media reinforcement.  
     Patrick McManus defined two forms of panic, Blind Stationary Panic, which is done solo and involves jumping up and down while flapping your arms and Full Bore Linear Panic, which is more suited for a group activity and consists of running flat out until you hit something and veer off in another direction.  That leaves me to define the Christian form of panic, I choose to name it Righteous Indignation Panic, partly because many Christians consider their paranoia and pessimism to be righteous indignation, and partly because the abbreviation would be RIP.  I think that's cool. Many cite prophecy to reinforce their dismal outlook, but I don't think God gave us prophecy to make us frightened or cynical.  I think one of the reasons He gave us prophecy was to reassure us that, no matter where we are in history, He knows what is happening and is in control of the situation.
     It is right to be indignant at the sin and stupidity in our world as long as we start with the sinner in the mirror.  We need to remember that what separates us from the misled masses is grace, not intelligence. If the best Christians can offer to change our sin ravaged world is cynicism and worry, I would rather join ranks with the liberals who believe that an idea that hasn't worked in any nation in which it has been tried, will still work in ours.  You have to admire that kind of optimism.  So for now I will stick with private moments of panic like realizing there are no rest stops on a long stretch of Montana road, or can't find my boarding pass at the airport or hear what might be a growl while walking alone on the island.  If you're recruiting for a group panic, prepare to be disappointed, never mind, you already are.