In 1939 the poster “Keep Calm and Carry On” was first designed by the Ministry of Information of Great Britain. It was created along with 2 other “Home Publicity” posters with the hope that these ideas would strengthen the morale of the people as they faced the possibility of a wartime disaster. The government knew the possibility of a mass bombing of major cities using high explosives and poison gas would likely happen within hours of an outbreak of war. They produced over 2 million copies of these encouraging words underneath the Tudor Crown but did not end up distributing most of them immediately. It wasn’t until 2000 when a bookstore owner opened a box of books which he had purchased at an auction and uncovered one of the original posters. He was smart enough to have it framed so that it could be hung up near his cash register. Because of the attention and interest it received, he decided to produce and sell copies to his clientele and before long it became a saying of wide and international renown.
As Matthew concluded his biography of Jesus, he recalled the final instructions He had heard Jesus give to His disciples. You might say that Jesus originated the idea of keeping calm and carrying on. Because Jesus knew He would be leaving them very soon, He wanted them to remember His promise to be with each of them through the coming of His Spirit. He would indwell them in order to enable them to continue to face the opposition which would inevitably continue to come their way and to “make disciples of all nations”. He wanted them to be comforted by the truth that “He would be with them until the end of the age.” Is there any greater concept that would help them to move forward with calm determination into their world where people needed to know who Jesus really was and that “God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”?
When you see or hear that now famous saying, “Keep Calm and Carry On”, why not let it remind you of the future that Jesus envisioned for you and me, as well,