Dear
Neighbors,
In
the north country of Canada, the Inuit (native people) were evangelized by the
Roman Catholic and the Anglican (Episcopalian in the USA) churches. Both churches reported great success. If in March, the Roman Catholic missionary
came to a village of 78 souls, in June, he would report 78 converts before
moving on. If the Anglican missionary
then came in September, in December, he too would report 78 converts before
moving on.
However,
it was reported that the Roman Catholic image of roasting on a spit forever in
a fiery hell held the attention of the First Nations a little more effectively
than the Anglican image of a loving and benevolent Lord Jesus.
I
have to admit that I can identify with that.
I’ve gone to Christian school most of my life and the images of the
Apocalyptic comic books handed out by one particularly virulent group of “hell
and damnation” youth speakers is still very powerful in my psyche. One piece that sticks in particular in the
passage that describes the next way the earth will be destroyed in judgment, by
fire, referenced in II Peter.
I
can lay out chapter and verse better concerning apocalyptic, End Times, and
judgment themes than just about any other themes across Scripture. That is because it plays on fear and our
survival instincts.
But
that focus undercuts all that Jesus did for us.
His death and resurrection was so that we would never face that End Time
of judgment and death. All that violence
and death he took upon his own person.
And when the End Times and apocalyptic stuff points us back to Jesus, it
has served its purpose. But it cannot
become an end unto itself.
As
we begin the season of Lent this month, the question I pose is what images of
our faith have impressed themselves in your faith. If there aren’t any, take this season, as we
begin to study the gospel of John, to see what images do take hold most
powerfully.
Peace,
Pastor
Peter
