Continuing to Fight for Joy
Dec 12th, 2007 by Hugh
The sad news just continues to pour in. One of my college friends writes about the Ebola outbreak in Uganda that has claimed the life of one of their World Harvest Mission colleagues.
It seems that one of the missionary doctors gave an Ebola patient an oxygen mask because the patient was suffocating from fluid in the lungs. He didn’t stop to put gloves on. Now he’s dead.
Like D.A. Carson said, you’ve got to be prepared for suffering and evil. (If you’ve never heard his sermon, On Being Prepared for Suffering and Evil, please listen — your attention will be rewarded: Part 1 & Part 2.) Once you’re in the middle of something like this, it’s too late to break out your theology textbook for answers. So decide now to trust God. It’ll be too late if you wait until the time comes.
As for me, I trust God more than I hate suffering and evil. But I really hate suffering and evil. A lot.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25, ESV)
Yeah, one of Regina’s good friend’s brother-in-law (31) got killed in a car wreck this past weekend. They have two little girls.
I was just thinking about this yesterday and I was reminded of the role of the Fox in the movie The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe (he’s not in the book).
We all want/expect to be the heros, but it may just be out part to be the supporting actor that gets killed earlier on for the greater good. We can’t all be the fortold kings and queens of Narnia but we all have our part to contribute to the kingdom.
And even though we all have an empending “turning to stone” moment somewhere in our futures, we also have the hope that the King will return to breath His life into us again.