Last week the news was full of stories about incredible losses.
The Syrian government collapsed, and the president had to flee for his life, leaving all he owned, all that he had accumulated over a lifetime. He left behind the palace and all the clothing, jewels, and possessions in it. He left a staggering fleet of luxury cars worth millions of dollars.
One of the cars he abandoned was a Ferrari F50, of which only 349 were ever made. One of the 349 sold for more than $5.5 million in a Sotheby's auction earlier this year
But after 24 years of what journalists call a “brutal reign” in Syria, following his father’s similar leadership of decades, there was an overthrow. What Bashar al-Assad seemed to have in influence, power, and possessions was instantly gone. The Assads' ties to Russia, specifically Moscow, are well-documented. A 2019 investigation by the Financial Times found that Assad's extended family had purchased at least 18 luxury apartments in the Russian capital in a bid to keep tens of millions of dollars out of Syria during the civil war. That’s some skillful maneuvering to try to maintain control and power. But I know what Bashar al-Assad doesn’t realize. He and his possessions aren’t safe there either.
Fire crews in California are continuing to battle a wildfire in the scenic ocean-side community of Malibu that grew dramatically overnight and caused thousands to evacuate, including a host of celebrity residents. The fire had roared through more than 4,000 acres as of Tuesday evening – growing by nearly 40% since the day before – but firefighters were working to cut through the blaze and had it about 7% contained. About 20,000 remain under evacuation warnings or orders in the upscale southern California city, which is home to an array of celebrities. Among those forced to flee were celebrities Dick Van Dyke and Cher.
Students at Pepperdine University, a private Christian university along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, had been forced to shelter in place late Monday as flames from the blaze approached buildings on campus. Videos showed students in the library as flames licked the sides of the campus.
These recent wildfires have not taken lives but have destroyed property and possessions for huge losses. These two situations have caused me to reflect. Control is an illusion. When we focus on trying to keep possessions and people firmly under our control, we delude ourselves. We can’t control anything much. We try hard. We lose relationships over trying to control, we behave without integrity, we lose our lives scrambling for things we can never keep. It can all be gone in a moment.
We need to keep a tight grip only on what is most important. Paul reminded Timothy of something we could all afford to have imprinted on our souls: “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:7 NIV
Jesus told us how to handle our lives and our possession. Christmas is a good time to remember and reflect: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 ESV