Limping to Heaven
Minister’s Letter – 31 March 2022
Last year, in my early morning Bible reading, I was struck by Proverbs 14:10
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.
We share so much in common as humans, each being made in God’s image.
But still our experiences – both of joy and sorrow – can often be very personal and even private.
With the repeated frustrations, of last-minute changes of COVID restrictions and church rearrangements over the last two years, I was given perspective, when I heard from CMS missionaries that some Christians in places like Chile and Japan had 16 months without going to church or campus Christian groups!
On the other hand, just because the deprivation of others is worse does not really make your struggles easy.
I think of people trying to recover from floods; those in households or workplaces full of dissension; teachers and nurses stretched to breaking point; those stressed because they or a loved one is immuno-compromised; those diagnosed with serious illness or battling mental health issues that just won’t go away; those devastated by leadership failures.
I could go on, but the point is that it doesn’t always help to say others have it worse.
Image courtesy of http://www.heartlight.org
The Bible often encourages us to rejoice in the good things of God’s creation. But the Bible’s wisdom literature also warns us that such joys can be fleeting. Proverbs 14:13 says,
Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief.
Likewise, Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 makes some pessimistic-sounding observations about life… Like it’s better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting; that frustration can be better than laughter.
This is because happiness can be so temporary. And most basically, death is the destiny of everyone. Ultimately, it’s wise to take this heart.
So maybe COVID, the flooding rains, and news of warfare is doing us a kind of favour!
It knocks over our sense of being in control; a reality check to our Aussie sense of “She’ll be right, mate”... But only if it also turns us to God; to the fear of the Lord, as the wisdom writings say!
And when the Bible say “Rejoice”, it often adds, “in the Lord”.
Even in suffering, we have the love of Christ demonstrated decisively – 2000 years ago – on the cross where he died for us.
And we have the hope of heaven, as an “anchor for the soul” (Hebrews 6:19), firm and secure, based on Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven.
But mean time, as I often say, we are limping to heaven.
With that in mind, can I recommend two excellent short books under 100 pages:
• Down, Not Out, if you or a loved one struggles with anxiety or depression;
• Hope Beyond Cure, if you or a friend faces cancer or another serious illness (I have given this book away more than almost any other to those unsure where God fits in to it all!)
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant