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4. Would you rather know death is coming and have time to prepare, or would you rather die suddenly without warning at the hand of some terrorist? I dare say there was not a single person who walked into the Trade Center in New York September 11, 2001 thinking, “This is the last day of my life.” I used to think that when it came time for me to die that I wanted death to come suddenly. “Lord, let me have a heart attack or get run over by a Mack Truck; just get it over with!”—I no longer feel that way. Having been a hospice chaplain, I’ve seen how many wonderful things can happen when a person has time to prepare for death. There is time to say goodbye, to heal wounded relationships, to seek divine forgiveness, and put one’s house in order. For example, what if a woman became pregnant on Monday and had the baby on Tuesday. Would she be ready?—No. But, if she has nine months to prepare, when the baby comes she is as ready as she can be. Obviously, there are some negative aspects to a slower death, but from where I sit, when I weigh them out, under most circumstances I would choose a slower death. You’ve witnessed the grief on television of people who never got to tell their loved ones goodbye. Would you prefer to be in their shoes, or have extended time to spend with your loved ones? 5. Question: Do you love your car? Does your car love you? No. You may like your car, but true love cannot exist between man and machine. God created us as choice-makers, with free wills so that we would not be like a car or some robot. God desires our voluntary love. What if I told you, “I’ll take you out for lunch, and you can have whatever you want. You can have pizza, pizza, or pizza. What do you want?”—That is no choice. God, in like manner, could have said, “You have a choice. You can love me . . . or you can love me . . . or you can love me.”—Again, that is no choice. For real love and goodness to exist between us and God, without us being mere robots, there had to be an alternative, a real choice: evil. As much as we hate it, that is the price
tag for having freedom of choice.—We can love God or hate God. We can choose to love people, or we can crash an airplane into the building where they work. We have the potential to do great good or great evil. Why? Because love demands a choice and God gives us that choice. 6. While we have free will, a major theme in virtually every major religion is that someday there will be a day of judgment. While we have freedom of choice, there are consequences for the choices we make. We are accountable. That which we do in this life will echo for eternity. 7. The good news, from a Christian perspective, is that God is not immune to our pain, but rather entered our world, died for our sins, and is able to meet us in our pain. The message of the cross is that not only did Christ die for our sins, but that He meets and identifies with us in our pain, in the ways we’ve been sinned against. God comforts us as one who has known pain and injustice. 8. God has all eternity to graciously pay us back for the hurts and losses we know in this life (Romans 8:18-25). 9. Quoting C.S. Lewis again, “When the Author walks onto the stage, the play is over.” God will not allow suffering and evil to go unchecked forever. There is a day coming when God will say, “Enough’s enough!” God is a God of justice. Evil will be judged, and every tear will be wiped away from our eyes (Revelations 21:4). 10. Until that day, since none of us know when our day will come, it is both necessary and fitting that we be ready. We all live on the threshold of eternity. God offers comfort now, and eternal hope for the future. There is unconditional forgiveness and pardon for all who place their trust in Him (John 1:12, 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; I John 1:9). In the end, for those who have chosen to place their faith and trust in God, it will be “OK!” Good will prevail. God will reign triumphant, goodness will be rewarded, and evil will be remembered no more. d
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