The Beacon of a Real Love
I guess all of us were drawn into the waiting and hoping of the Beaconsfield story last week. Two miners trapped and the job of getting them out safely proving so difficult that the time line was always being extended.
Those two guys had hope. For two reasons. First they had fresh air and water. Second, they knew as per the unwritten miner’s code, that their mates would come for them. And backed by the best resources of personnel and technology they did! Todd and Brant walked out. A great feel good story for the Aussie community. We’d, all of us, go to help if we were needed, able to, been asked!
For the entire two weeks of this drama I’d been mentally comparing it with the story of ‘redeeming’ a la the bible. Lots of similarities. The trappedness. The helplessness. The hope (as in God’s promises). The planning, resourcefulness and determination of the rescuers. And, of course, the outcome.
All the while something niggled away at me and it didn’t crystallise until the weekend after the great outcome.
Suppose, just suppose, that the mine was near a prison, and the two men who were trapped were a serial killer and a serial paedophile. Let’s say they were called Ivan and Bilal.
My Question: Would I have put my name down to go to their aid, especially if there were serious risks involved?
Second Question: What would I have said in my heart if in fact both Bilal and Ivan were in fact killed by the rock fall?
Re the second question, I’d probably have said ‘good riddance, that’s no loss, they got what they deserved’. That’s the instinctive reaction. But what would Jesus Christ do?
Re the first question, I’d gladly go to the aid of a good mate and a good bloke. I’d feel compelled to! But I’d find excuses if it came to those the community likes to name as ‘scum’. What would Jesus do?
Jesus Christ died, not for the good and righteous, but for the wicked and enemies. And note – he died!
Also disturbing of my feel-good Christianity:
This same Jesus – who redeemed me, wicked, sinful enemy of God, then commands me to “Love as I have loved you!”
That’s a tough challenge – and the reason we need the Spirit of Love to answer that high calling.
- Fred
Those two guys had hope. For two reasons. First they had fresh air and water. Second, they knew as per the unwritten miner’s code, that their mates would come for them. And backed by the best resources of personnel and technology they did! Todd and Brant walked out. A great feel good story for the Aussie community. We’d, all of us, go to help if we were needed, able to, been asked!
For the entire two weeks of this drama I’d been mentally comparing it with the story of ‘redeeming’ a la the bible. Lots of similarities. The trappedness. The helplessness. The hope (as in God’s promises). The planning, resourcefulness and determination of the rescuers. And, of course, the outcome.
All the while something niggled away at me and it didn’t crystallise until the weekend after the great outcome.
Suppose, just suppose, that the mine was near a prison, and the two men who were trapped were a serial killer and a serial paedophile. Let’s say they were called Ivan and Bilal.
My Question: Would I have put my name down to go to their aid, especially if there were serious risks involved?
Second Question: What would I have said in my heart if in fact both Bilal and Ivan were in fact killed by the rock fall?
Re the second question, I’d probably have said ‘good riddance, that’s no loss, they got what they deserved’. That’s the instinctive reaction. But what would Jesus Christ do?
Re the first question, I’d gladly go to the aid of a good mate and a good bloke. I’d feel compelled to! But I’d find excuses if it came to those the community likes to name as ‘scum’. What would Jesus do?
Romans 5:10
God shows his love for us in that while we were enemies, Christ died for us.
Jesus Christ died, not for the good and righteous, but for the wicked and enemies. And note – he died!
Also disturbing of my feel-good Christianity:
This same Jesus – who redeemed me, wicked, sinful enemy of God, then commands me to “Love as I have loved you!”
That’s a tough challenge – and the reason we need the Spirit of Love to answer that high calling.
- Fred
posted by Boomerexy at 12:05 PM
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