Verse 32: "Then everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
This chapter has a lot of ugliness in it. It talks about armies coming to destroy, it says the sun will go dark, the earth will quake and all the people will be in anguish.
I've met a number of people this week that are in anguish. This morning I went to the funeral of a man named Bill; it was the second funeral I have been to in three days.
Bill's son Mark and his family are members of my church, and his wife Marie comes regularly to our Thursday book group. I know the family very well, but I never got a chance to know Bill. I heard this morning that he was a war hero, a pastor, a chaplain, a father, a husband and a good friend. He touched many people with his life and he will be missed by many.
How are we expected to say good-bye to people we love so much? How do we go on when a piece of us is gone?
It is times like this that I feel bad for people who don't believe in God, people without any hope of reuniting with their loved ones. I don't know how I would go on without the promises of God, like the one made in this verse. If the basis of our faith is nothing more than eternal life insurance, that would be enough for me.
I personally believe faith to be about much more than just heaven, it's about love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and the truth.... But heaven is a big part of it. Which is why I believe this verse. I believe that Bill's family will see him again. I believe that today was not a good-bye, instead it was a "see you soon, in a better place."
Some people may think Christians are naive, but what are our other options?
I'm not really interested in darkness and anguish.
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