the angel of the Lord
guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.
Psalm 34:7
Driving through Canada in the 1970s, our family's catalytic converter went out on our station-wagon.
It was an inconvenience, not a calamity. (And I say this, of course, on a day -- 9/11 -- when we need to be prayerful about what true calamities really can be).
But we were stranded for days in the town of Kingston, Ontario, while we waited for this new American invention -- the catalytic converter -- to be shipped to a place that Detroit apparently found as hard to reach as Outer Mongolia.
But my family -- who was accustomed to a lot of miles and big destinations -- had the privilege of slowing down and enjoying what turned out to be a fascinating little town … and we did something there that was totally out-of-character for a Thomas' Family Vacation: we went to a movie. "Heaven Can Wait."
Do you remember this Warren Beatty remake?
· A pro-quarterback is riding his bike through a busy tunnel ...
· and to save him from an obvious head-on collision and painful death, his guardian angel whisks him away prematurely.
· When he goes up to heaven, it's discovered that it wasn't "his time yet" -- his pro-athlete reflexes would have saved him from a deadly collision.
· And the point of the movie is that heaven "owes him" his earthly destiny of winning a Super Bowl.
· And the comedy is this quarterback taking over another person's life and body and trying to win a Super Bowl.
Cute movie.
Bad theology.
Here's the point ...
That really is many people's theology. We mistakenly believe that heaven "owes us something." (Even if we’d never say it out loud.)
We hear about "the angel of the Lord [who] guards all who fear him ... and ... rescues them," and too many are consequently offended by any pain or discomfort in life. "God promised. He owes me."
I suspect that when we get up to heaven, we might become aware of all the times when God and his angels covered us with "wings of protection" that we weren't even aware of on this earth. But he doesn't "owe us" anything. And he sure doesn't guarantee us any physical protection.
Indeed, God, who did not spare his own Son, promised that on earth we might suffer LIKE his Son and FOR his Son.
Yes, God does promises blessings to those who believe in him! Some of these we will experience on earth -- like transcendent hope, joy, and courage in spite of earthly circumstances. Most, we will most assuredly experience in heaven! That is the true help. That is the true reward. That is when there will be "no more morning, or crying, or pain – and death will be no more" (see Revelation 21:1-5).
I write this today, because it is 9/11 and someone somewhere will, I suspect, be hurt by terror today. Are God and his holy angels required to rescue us every moment? No. God gave us humans dominion of this earth. And we terrorize ourselves.
And yet, God does rescue all who believe! Moment-by-moment. And eternally.
· He gives us hope, when there is no earthly hope.
· He gives us courage, when enemies surround us (as David kept facing in the midst of so many of these Psalms).
· He gives us confidence of life – better now and eternal later – in a world otherwise ruled by death.
That's the rescue that God and faith and angels truly provide! And that's the hope that we are ALL called to proclaim.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who cheers "Heaven Can Wait,"
– not because I'm holding onto this broken world,
but because there's too much proclaiming to do!
Philippians 1:21 For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don't know which is better. 23 I'm torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, 24 but it is better for you that I live. 25 I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith.
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