A couple of weeks ago, I
went to a Subway Store I normally frequent near my home. I have made friends
with those behind the counter who prepare the sandwiches. They know me by name,
and I know their name as well. Without me asking, they even know what sandwich
I order and the ingredients I always request in the sandwich. They could
prepare it blindfolded I think. They know that I am an Anglican priest, and
this has given me an opportunity to speak to them about the Lord, although very
briefly because it is a busy place. Occasionally, I have more of their time and
get to talk to them more about their lives, their families, their hopes, their
faith, etc.
On this one occasion, a couple of
weeks ago, I engaged one of them in a faith conversation. She, a middle age
lady, shared with me that her life was not going too well. She seemed to be
struggling with her emotions even as we spoke. What I got from our conversation
is that she is a single mother of two teenagers and did not mention a husband,
which told me she was alone in that respect. I asked her if she attended
church. She told me that she was Roman Catholic and that Roman Catholics don’t
attend church, and she laughed. I know that is not true, but I understood what
she was trying to tell me. I also laughed and told her that she should go to
church and seek the Lord. She proceeded to share with me that her weekends were
spent in partying and drinking beer. We laughed again; And before she went away
to help another customer, I said to her, “One day you are going to be sorry
that you did not seek the Lord.”
She laughed and said, “I know.”
As I left the restaurant and got in
my car, a thought came into my mind. The Gospel is not just about being saved
from eternal punishment or being saved from our just reward before a holy God.
This should be enough to scare all of us when we consider the severity of a
life lived for eternity separated from our loving God and Father or punished
for eternity in that place we have come to know as Hell.
Jesus Christ came into this world
not just to give us eternal life after this one is over, but also to give us
“abundant life” in the here and now, something that seemed somehow missing in
my friend at Subway.
This life we live today is a
precious gift of God. One intended to be lived to the fullest; to be most
enjoyed; to be fulfilling–a life filled with joy, hope, and peace. A life lived
not in chaos, fear, sorrow, depression, or regrets.
The Word of God, with its
laws and directions for our lives, is not intended to show us that God is in
charge or otherwise, but rather it is a guide from the Creator and Sustainer of
this life on how to live our lives to the fullest and in a way that blesses us
and brings glory to Him. In other words the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just
a parachute against ultimate failure and death but rather a manual to live life
today in the way it was intended to be lived–as a true gift, accepted and used.
Life on earth today can be a type of heaven or a type of hell.
"The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just a parachute against ultimate failure and death but rather a manual to live life today in the way it was intended to be lived."
When we present the Gospel to
another person we need to realize that the fear of hell at the end of life does
not convince very many people (though it should) but rather we should consider
that the perspectives of living this current life in order, joy, peace, and
fulfillment could be exactly what a person needs to hear to know the difference
that Jesus can make in a life. You and I know that Jesus Christ has transformed
our lives from chaos into order, from fear into joy, from depression into
gladness, from loneliness into a personal relationship with God, and from fear
of the end of life to a wonderful expectation that life on earth, as enjoyable
as it can be, is but a shadow of what life in the presence of God will be.
"Jesus Christ has transformed our lives from chaos to order, from fear to joy, from depression to gladness, from loneliness to a personal relationship with God, and from fear of the end of life to a wonderful expectation that life on earth, as enjoyable as it can be, is but a shadow of what life in the presence of God will be."
I went back and had
another opportunity to share with her what Jesus could do in her life and the
life of her family if she gave Him a chance. She listened and smiled. I know I
need to go buy some more sandwiches at this Subway.
Help me Jesus to share with her
and to allow her to see in me the joy of a life lived with and for you in the
here and now.
Let’s Blog
Fr. Jose+
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