We live in often difficult times. How do we know God loves us? One of the ways is that He doesn’t tell us just what we want to hear. He tells us the truth about ourselves and about our world. He says, “There will be great distress upon the earth,” (Luke 21:23) and that even families will betray Christians and hand them over to death. (Lk 21.16) But—thanks be to God!—we can be confident and courageous, for Christ stands with us and for us, and He will rescue us. We will “see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:27, ESV) He will “… tread down the wicked,” (Malachi 4:3, ESV) and there will be “healing in His wings.” (Mal 4.1.) During this time of tribulation, the Lord has called us to pass on this confident Christian faith, what St. Paul calls “the Tradition.” (2 Thess 3.6) “May the Lord,” then, “direct [our] hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5, ESV)