Daniel 12:1-3, Psalm 16, and Hebrews 10:11-25
A missionary named Stanley Jones (1884-1972) has been going to India to spread Christianity since 1907. He occasionally held religious conversations with Mahatma Gandhi and worked to spread the gospel to India’s 1.2 billion people.
Stanley Jones contrasts the Indian idea of karma with the cross. If you don’t “overcome the Indian fatalism and karma of cause and effect,” which holds that your past life determines your present life, then difficulties will make you even more depressed. When they face hardship, they say, “What can I do? This is all my karma.” They cannot move forward and retreat in a tight system of rewards and punishments. So, they say: “If Jesus had not been such an evil person in his past life, he would not have suffered such severe pain on the cross….” For them, suffering is the conclusion of sin and the result of failure. Avoiding pain, if possible, is the best solution.
But Christians do not think so. Now, we see the unique perspective and horizon of suffering that Christianity has on suffering that is different from other religions or ideologies. “Suffering for another person in his stead is something that cannot be understood with the idea of karma.” The nature and meaning of Jesus’ suffering is an act of grace for others. This was exemplified in Isaiah’s suffering servant and was fulfilled in the cross of Christ. That is why many of God’s people participate in the suffering of their neighbors for no reason.
We call it ‘redemptive suffering.’ It is suffering on behalf of others, and it is the belief that such suffering saves others and me. This is a unique understanding of suffering that is unique to Christianity. Without this, we cannot understand the suffering of Christ, and it is impossible to establish the rightful position of the cross. It is the ultimate explanation of suffering and a guideline for practice. Therefore, we can believe in the tears of God, who suffers on our behalf without sin, rather than a God who glares at us and tells us to be thankful for any suffering unconditionally. We can believe in Jesus’ unreasonable, never-ending love on the cross.
If so, it would be fortunate if we did not encounter this deep suffering in our lives, but we are well aware that it is inevitable that we will experience it from time to time. When we go through hardships and tribulations, what options do we have?
First, please rely on God, who is our hope. When I am having a hard time, who do I call? I contact people I can rely on, such as my family, friends, teachers, and mentors, and ask for advice. However, not everyone can help me, ideally in my troubles and problems. It is challenging to receive perfect support due to time constraints, spatial differences, and lack of resources. In times like these, we can ask for help from the all and perfect God. Why is that so?
God alone is my portion and my cup; you make my lot safe(5). Therefore, as David confessed in verse 8, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” What a wonderful and confident confession! We will not be shaken when we turn to God and ask for help. God showed this path of life to David, and He shows us the same way today. Therefore, dear friends, I hope you meet the Lord, who shows you the path to life in times of trouble. May we trust that He will give us the gift of fullness of joy and everlasting pleasure.
Second, let us lead our neighbors to the path of life that I have experienced. The book of Daniel testifies that during the time of tribulation, all those who are written in the book will be saved. Sharing the gospel with family, friends, and neighbors is sometimes difficult. Sometimes, it is not easy to talk about God or take a walk with a Bible to someone who is not religious. However, we are children of God, children of light. As we lead many to the light, we will shine like the brightness of the heavens, like the stars for ever and ever. It is the path to life and living hope. So, we sometimes have to persuade and often recommend this path.
Last Thursday, I visited three families of church members and attended a special gathering in the evening. The purpose of the meeting was for young believers to have conversations about faith with Anglican priests, Lutheran pastors, and Presbyterian pastors.
The meeting works with people who have grown up in evangelical environments who have walked away from the faith because they can’t reconcile fundamentalim with the real world. We seek to show them that there are environments in the church where they can talk about things like science and religion. We had the opportunity to meet with mainline pastors so that they can know that they don’t have to reject the church altogether.
I was the only person of color and an immigrant among those gathered there. It is not enough to say that I represent the Presbyterian Church because the Presbyterian Church has a very large spectrum in the world. To put it simply, they talked to me for over two hours about various topics, including evolution, views on homosexuality, and the ordination of women. It was not easy to discuss late at night with pastors and young people for nearly three hours. Of course, I could have declined the invitation offer. However, some people had temporarily strayed from the path of hope and were trying to get back on track. Therefore, I gathered courage and tried to share my thoughts as much as possible. Of course, it is not enough time to convey everything I know, but I hope the Holy Spirit will fill in what is lacking and open their hearts and ears.
At the end of the meeting, I asked them a question. This is something we share with our church sessions and board members, which is to study the meaning of the church’s presence in the region. I asked them what role they expected from their local church and what they could do within their community or within the church. Then, a young man responded. When I look at a church, what comes to mind is that there is good bonding and intimacy between members and that they also do activities to serve the disadvantaged. Believing in God, studying the Word, encouraging church members, and finding things that can be done outside the church building and into the world with the strength gathered.
Dear Friends, When I look at the Red Deer Census these days, I am surprised to see that more young people live in this area than I thought. Of course, we don’t know in detail how many thousands of them live downtown. There are 15,000 people over 65 and 85,000 people under 65. Of these, 24,000 people are under the age of 19. There are about 30,000 families with children, so I see that Red Deer is a relatively young city with a lot of people, from older adults to children. Therefore, our church will continue to look for various roles to respect adults, respect children, and lead them on the path of hope that we can. I interpret that as God’s will in sending us into the world and as a teaching from the Bible to lead many people to the light.
Beloved, God is our hope. And all of us are God’s hope. Let us rely on God this week and live a hope-filled life, trusting in God again. I hope that you and I, as well as our Knox Presbyterian Church, can be the hope of Red Deer.