THE TRUMPET CALL May 23, 2020

Today’s devotional was on 1 Thessalonians 4, particularly highlighting what I call, “The Trumpet Call”.  So many Christians across the years famously call it, “The Rapture”.  I grew up with movies and books showing scenes of people (presumably the good ones) suddenly disappearing, while many (presumably the not-good, or at least the doubtful, ones) left behind to struggle to survive in a dystopian world.

Throughout the four decades of my existence however, I’ve seen both good and bad suddenly disappearing (with many human rights groups calling it ‘Enforced Disappearances); and especially these days with the pandemic, many “good” and innocent ones are still left behind to contend with a world which is fast descending into dystopia.

Had I not read a little further, that is, a few more chapters before and after, and had I not minded the sermons and messages from the pastors throughout the last three decades of being born again, I might have questioned if there might be any disconnect between what I just read and what is happening in real life. I might have thought that the Bible is fanciful, another book that belongs to the science fiction, dystopian genre. Thankfully, though, I’ve settled on what I believe and know for certain: that GOD’s Word is true, consistent and seamless throughout, particularly if we stick to its essence and choose to read translations that are closest to the original, against the backdrop of the culture and places by which they were written.

And so, my mind chose to focus on the trumpet call.  Not only do I like the sound of it pronounced out loud, it also comes to mind every time I hear Chris Tomlin’s song, “I Will Rise”. 

In any culture, trumpets are sounded to bring people’s attention to something. It does not always portend something bad or tragic like wars and invasions. In the olden times, it is blown to herald good news.  And the proper response to it is, yes, people should stop what they are doing and “rise” or stand still, to show they are giving their attention, time and hearing, and to show respect to the bearer of the news, particularly the one who sent the message.  Trumpets are sounded because they are loud, and can be heard amidst the loudest noises from the most populated marketplaces.  I read that in ancient cultures, trumpets are sounded outside of temples, outside of government offices, in the markets, in the public squares—where there is much concentration of people going about their business.

I just realized that these days, the world seems to be getting noisier, especially since many places are starting to open up. Many people try to drown out their fears at the havoc the pandemic is doing to the rest of the world that they try to create their own noises too.  Although that is one coping mechanism, I think however that this time calls more for listening, paying attention, and just plain waiting for when and what trumpet call we might hear.  The Rapture or the Second Coming for believers may not yet be happening in the next few days or months or years.  Still, it is worth noting that as children of GOD, along with more fervent prayers, now is the time to pay closer attention, rather than making noises with senseless quarantine selfies and videos that only feed both pride and envy, ultimately leading to emptiness and depression.

Along with prayers, stronger faith and hope, trying to improve ourselves, sharpening our skills and developing our resolutions while on less-than-a-hundred percent performance, income source and lifestyle activities, maybe we should spend this time to start winding down and gearing up.  For we never know, when the Trumpet is sounded, we might have to drop literally everything (including our “phones” and “wallets”) in order to hold on to a more glorious future.