We have all heard the
biblical stories of God delivering Israel via destroying Pharaoh’s army in the
Red Sea, of how Nebuchadnezzar’s fires did not consume Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, and of Peter’s jailbreak with the assistance of an Angel. The
scriptures are salted with such miraculous escapes from being in harm’s way.
And what is our takeaway from these Great Escapes? That when we get into
trouble, when we are descending into a fiery trial, that God will also give us
a way out: a miraculous intervention where He saves our bacon. But most of the
time—or all of the time—there we sit in our trials, where there is no parting
of the Red Sea, no quenching of the flames, and no Angel to guide us out of our
prisons.
Our Job-like
“friends” announce that we obviously have ticked off the Almighty with our
unrighteous behavior. Others echo Job’s wife, telling us to get it over with:
to curse God and die. And the bearers of the Good News of Hallmark Cards tell
us that, any day now, a rainbow will appear and from then on there will be nothing
but smooth sailing. And right on
cue a hurricane barrels through our property, destroying everything we own.
“What’s wrong with me
that the God who is love doesn’t see fit to rescue me? After all, you can
barely turn a page of the Bible without seeing someone being rescued, healed,
or delivered.” Really? What’s wrong is that we have taken isolated events over thousands
of years and created a picture of God’s Ways With His People, while ignoring
those biblical stories that far outnumber the Great Escapes, where God did not
intervene.
“But Monte, God even takes
notice of and cares for every sparrow that falls from the sky, how much more so
will He care for us.” Yes. He does see that sparrow fall. And there it lies,
dead.
The fact that Peter
and Paul, two of the greatest leaders and heroes of Christ’s Church were martyred
should have at least given us a clue that, in this life, we have not been promised
a pain or trouble free existence. “God is with us and loves us” doesn’t mean,
“And a good time was had by all.”
You have to wonder
just how much of our view of the Normal Christian Life is actually based on the
American Dream. But what can you expect when so many ministers here in the US
have covered Christ’s Good News with fools gold.
“Getch’ your Popcorn,
Peanuts, Sacraments! Why, one little sip of this spiritual elixir and you will
become part of God’s Holy Lake Wobegone, ‘where are all the women are strong,
all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.’ Get it?
Lake Woe-be-gone. Hallelujah!” (With apologies to Garrison Keillor)
We want lives where,
metaphorically, we heroes of the faith conquer kingdoms, shut the mouths of
lions, and escape the edge of swords, being powerful in battle! (Hebrews 11. 32-34)
But what about those who were tortured, or faced jeers and flogging, were
stoned to death or sawed in two, or wandered in deserts, destitute, persecuted
and mistreated? (11. 35-38) Didn’t the author site these people too as people
of faith, worthy of honor?
Christ’s promise to
“be with you always” is not a talisman providing good luck and a charmed life. Life
can be difficult enough without saddling people with the disastrous idea that
if we only had more faith, more of the Holy Spirit, were more holy, and had a
head full of “sound theology,” then life would be just peachy. How many people
are languishing in a prison of self-hatred because their lives scream, “Where are
you God?” all while thinking their plight is a sign of a shameful lack of
devotion, rather than simply life this side of heaven? God have mercy.
(cont)
Copyright,
Monte E Wilson, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment