‘And they lived happily ever after.’ Many children’s books end with this, or something close to it. A pleasant, feel-good ending on which to say, ‘Good Night, Sweet dreams.’ Cinderella marries the prince. The ogre is defeated. The Sheriff puts the bad guys in jail and the citizens of Dodge City celebrate. Lassie rescues Timmy. Dorothy and Toto get back to Kansas. Superman arrives just in the nick of time.
We can assume, as those living in the ‘civilized’ West,* that beauty and ease and health and riches should form the unobstructed pathway of our lives. Snags and detours and inconveniences are, well, unacceptable. It is easy to get disillusioned when, early on in our lives, major things either go wrong or fail to position us for instant success. If we are not vigilant, bitterness can slink in along with our dashed hopes. *(Gandhi was once asked, “What do you think of Western civilization?” He responded, “I think it’s a good idea.”).
Life with Jesus is sometimes painted like a fairy tale, with the plot getting better and brighter until we simply float away into eternity with him. Reality is such a rude awakening when we’ve succumbed to this idea. Obstructing our stellar climb to our goals are the multi-faceted manifestations of our old nature (and, of course, that of others and the world).
To return to clarity and a divine dose of truth, Scripture gives clear examples of what it means to live life with Jesus. A generous mix of hope and glory combined with perfect love is the theme which stands the test of time. As we read the 2,000-year-old texts of the New Testament, we encounter poignant, unvarnished stories of real men and women following Jesus with great hardship and irrepressible joy. Their stories of love and perseverance are mirrored in ours. Looking forward to seeing you joy-clad saints tomorrow, 10 AM, 4 PM FR. PD
