As
an Associate Chaplain at a hospital, I have sat with many people during times
of stress and crisis. I have listened to many cries for help; many cries of
desperation. A loved one’s life is hanging in the balance and the distraught
relative intones over and over again, O God, O God, O God. A family is given
bad news and they respond in anger. “Where is God when we need Him?” Because
God created us with an innate desire to be in relationship with Him, when we
are at our lowest and all of our human resources are depleted, something within
us cries for God. It may be a cry for help or a cry of anger, but it is almost
universally there.
I
have encountered many people who live their lives independent of a relationship
with God. As long as everything is going well, they have no place for God in
their lives. The name of God, if it is used at all, is used as a mindless form
of profanity. Then the bottom drops out and they blame God for abandoning them. For them, God
is not a friend and companion, but a benevolent stranger who is supposed to be
there for them when they need him. He is the spiritual rescue squad who is
supposed to be on call, ready to respond to their emergency.
The
Bible makes it clear that we have a choice in the way we live our lives. We can
live in relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, or we can live without God
being an active part of our lives. It is wrong to say that God is absent,
because he is always, everywhere present. But we can live as if he does not exist,
or at least as if he has no place in our everyday lives. There will come a time
when every human being will stand before God and give an account of their life.
It will either be a time of terror or a time of welcome home. The determining
factor will be if Jesus was our friend or a stranger.
There
is a challenging passage of scripture found in Matthew 25. Jesus describes that
time when all of humanity will stand before Jesus’ throne. The people of the
world will be divided into two groups; one on His right and one on His left. Jesus
will turn to the people on his right and extend a hand of welcome. “Welcome
home friend. I have been looking forward to this day. You have lived life well,
you have served with honor, so now come and celebrate with me.”
Then
Jesus will turn to those on his left and he will say the most chilling thing
that any human can hear. “You lived your life as a stranger to me. You had no
thought of me and lived as if I did not exist. Depart from me. I never knew you.”
Right
now the door is open to anyone who will come to Jesus. The invitation to be
Jesus’ intimate friend is there for the taking. Here I am! I stand at the door
and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 Jesus desires to have a
meaningful relationship with us, but he will not barge his way into our lives.
He is the ultimate gentleman. He patiently waits for us to open the door and
invite Him in.
Today
I will perform a funeral. It is a solemn reminder that our life on earth is
short. One day the clock will run out for us all. When that time comes, will
Jesus be standing there welcoming us home as a dearly loved friend, or will He
still be a stranger?
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