Edwin Robertson in a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells of visiting Hanover after the war and meeting a German Baptist pastor. The man's church building had been bombed and his congregation scattered. I am no longer trammeled by church programs. Think of Coventry Cathedral laid in ruins by German firebombs. A stunning new structure rose from the ruins, a global witness to peace and to resurrection.
History has a progression.
This is not simply an occasion to feel sorry for ourselves. Even though we are surrounded by rubble and trouble, even though we suffer abuse and persecution for our efforts, we proclaim the Gospel to a new generation and even in new ways to enable folks to hear and respond who have never been able to before. Listen to Jesus. This is how people in the midst of rubble and trouble bear witness. Yes, there will be awful times, major collapses.