Christmas Day 2021

I had a great Christmas celebration this year. It included video calls with our kids and grandkids, quiet moments with Debbie, deep conversations with a few airmen who joined us, German Christmas stollen, presents, and a fun Christmas movie. It is hard for me to imagine how it could have been better. This year the highlight for me was a few moments on Christmas day when I was alone with a couple of books. I read several chapters from God Came Near by Max Lucado. I also read a chapter of Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (see my previous blog for more about Gawande’s book).

Lucado writes about the birth of Jesus in a way that moves me deeply. After reading a few pages I got a very vivid image of what it looked like when God came to Earth.  After a few moments of reading, I closed the book, and had no doubt that Jesus came to Earth to bring God’s love, forgiveness, and hope to all who believe. Since I came to faith in 1972, doubt has been a large part of the journey. I find the whole idea that “God came to Earth as a baby to die for the sins of the world” hard to believe. It feels good to have a few moments when all doubt has been vanquished and I can just enjoy God’s presence.  

THE BEST POSSIBLE EARTHLY LIFE

Although faith has always been hard and doubt a constant companion, I have always believed more than I have doubted. And while I have often doubted the whole salvation story, I have never really doubted Jesus’ words when He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” I have always believed that the best life was a life committed to Jesus, and the truth He preached.  Looking back on my life, I am more convinced than ever that the best life is a life committed to following Jesus. 

It is my desire that everyone I know comes to faith in Jesus and makes a sincere commitment to seek His will and obey His commandments. I am not trying to build a church, a brand, or a denomination. I am not seeking any kind of credit or glory. I just have a deep conviction, in the deepest part of my heart, that if people gave their life to Jesus, they would experience the best possible life here on Earth.

TAKING THE FOCUS OFF OF HEAVEN

However, much of the Christian faith is not about the best life on Earth, but rather an eternal life in heaven with our Lord. I have never been afraid of hell, and heaven, as described in the Bible, doesn’t sound like a place I would want to spend eternity. Most of the time I don’t mind going to church on Sunday morning for an hour. But an hour is usually enough for me. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Miss Watson describes what heaven is like to Huck, and he replies, “So I didn’t think much of it.”  Although I think I could do better at describing heaven than Miss Watson did, I am very understanding of why Huck “didn’t think much of it.” Heaven is so difficult for me to visualize, all I can say for sure is that I am trusting God that it will be an amazing home that Jesus has prepared. 

I have heard some preachers talk about heaven and hell like they had just visited, and they seem to know just what it is like to be in either place. I am skeptical. The Bible seems to talk about these places using a lot of imagery and metaphor, which makes these places mysterious to me.  Rather than talking about heaven and hell, I like talking about how Jesus can help us now when we are alive. And to repeat, I don’t doubt, not for a second, that Jesus offers us the best possible life now!

DEATH AS A GRAND ADVENTURE

Nevertheless, I am mortal, and I will die. Reading about this most obvious truth has me thinking more about my own death than I have ever done before. As I think about dying, I am also imagining Jesus being born on that first Christmas morning. When Jesus came to Earth, He was beginning a great adventure, unlike He had ever known before. I think that is what my death will be like, a great adventure unlike any other. Because I know that Jesus is the Son of God, and I know that He loves me, there is no reason to be afraid of this grand adventure.

I find that after reading God Came Near, thinking about my death is intriguing, maybe even enjoyable. Although there is much about life I will miss, I look forward to being free from living in a fallen world.   I still don’t know what heaven is like, but I have confidence that on the day of my death I will meet my LORD, and I am looking forward to that. 

I continue to revise my personal mission statement. I don’t want to leave planet Earth one day early, but I am not afraid to hear the voice of my Lord calling me home. My prayer for you is that you are finding the best life possible through Jesus. I also pray that you, like me, are looking forward to the grand adventure of meeting Him face to face.