More Rumors
After Pearl Harbor had been attacked, news spread like wildfire throughout the nation. As you would expect, every question could not be answered immediately. Where will the Japanese strike next? Is the rest of the nation safe? Rumors began to circulate to “answer” these questions. People heard that bombs were hitting American cities, that American ships were being sunk at sea, that the Panama Canal was blocked. Word spread that Japanese forces had established beachheads at San Francisco and Long Beach. Widespread anxiety was reported:
It was a rough Sunday night on the West Coast, where a follow-up Japanese attack seemed more likely than anywhere else. Around San Francisco Bay, fire sirens sounded falsely three times to warn residents of possible air attacks. Unpracticed civilian defense volunteers darted around neighborhoods yelling “Lights Out!” Police ordered drivers to turn out their headlamps and proceed using only their parking lights. Japanese planes never did appear that night to inflict any damage, but all that driving in darkness caused a lot of damaging accidents.54
There are times when we must react to crisis situations to protect our loved ones and ourselves. However, in times of great uncertainty we know that rumors are inevitable and often cause our plight to seem worse than it is. Christians should feel less cause for panic at such times because we have the assurance that God is in charge. We know that he wants us to do what needs to be done calmly, without unreasonable fear of the uncertainties that lie ahead. This quiet strength can be found only in God and the certain knowledge that he is in control.
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
—Matthew 6:27