The Most Important Visit We've Ever Made
6 years ago
9/19/2015
Beware of Jedi
9/04/2015
Prologue
What is the purpose of a prologue?
A prologue sets the scene for a story. It provides a context that helps the reader to appreciate what is about to come. It defines the relationships that are important and gives the important details that help the events in the story to make sense.
As it sets the scene, the prologue invites the reader to join in the great adventure that is about to begin. It gives glimpses of what is ahead, just enough to grab your interest without spoiling the plot. It suggests that there is a great story ahead that you never could have dreamed up yourself.
This thing we call "life" is really a prologue.
We work and struggle and fight to make our prologue the greatest story ever, rejoicing or despairing as the fortunes of the characters change in swift succession. We do not realize that all of this is only the buildup. It isn't even the first chapter. There is no use crying over a fortune that is lost before page 1. Clearly, that isn't where the true story lies.
Our life seems so brief when we look back on it. That's because it is brief. It's meant to be. It's only the prologue. We are supposed to read it, learn to identify with the important characters and appreciate the context, and then move on to the real story. The details of our lives, when we look back on them, will seem compressed as if written in a history book. Don't grieve over that fact, any more than you would grieve over not knowing the details of George Washington's daily struggle. As we are swept up in the main story, many seemingly insignificant details in the prologue will take on a new dimension. Other bits, which seemed incredibly important at first, will only receive a one-line mention.
So read the prologue, but don't obsess over it. You wouldn't rave to a book club about how much you enjoyed the prologue, nor would you be wise to criticize a 1000-page book simply because you found the 4-page prologue depressing. It's important, but it's only the beginning. Focus on the main themes, learn to identify and appreciate the author's style, and you will be well on your way to enjoying the real story.
A prologue sets the scene for a story. It provides a context that helps the reader to appreciate what is about to come. It defines the relationships that are important and gives the important details that help the events in the story to make sense.
As it sets the scene, the prologue invites the reader to join in the great adventure that is about to begin. It gives glimpses of what is ahead, just enough to grab your interest without spoiling the plot. It suggests that there is a great story ahead that you never could have dreamed up yourself.
This thing we call "life" is really a prologue.
We work and struggle and fight to make our prologue the greatest story ever, rejoicing or despairing as the fortunes of the characters change in swift succession. We do not realize that all of this is only the buildup. It isn't even the first chapter. There is no use crying over a fortune that is lost before page 1. Clearly, that isn't where the true story lies.
Our life seems so brief when we look back on it. That's because it is brief. It's meant to be. It's only the prologue. We are supposed to read it, learn to identify with the important characters and appreciate the context, and then move on to the real story. The details of our lives, when we look back on them, will seem compressed as if written in a history book. Don't grieve over that fact, any more than you would grieve over not knowing the details of George Washington's daily struggle. As we are swept up in the main story, many seemingly insignificant details in the prologue will take on a new dimension. Other bits, which seemed incredibly important at first, will only receive a one-line mention.
So read the prologue, but don't obsess over it. You wouldn't rave to a book club about how much you enjoyed the prologue, nor would you be wise to criticize a 1000-page book simply because you found the 4-page prologue depressing. It's important, but it's only the beginning. Focus on the main themes, learn to identify and appreciate the author's style, and you will be well on your way to enjoying the real story.
Judgement
This world is full of terrible people. Thieves who take advantage of the weak and defenseless, government leaders who ignore their people and instead fill their own pockets, gangsters who kill for no apparent reason, child molesters, terrorists, adulterers... we know of these people and read about them on the news but, for the most part, we don't interact with them. Instead we pour out our "righteous anger" on the offenses that touch us more personally- the boss who treats us unfairly, the jerk who hit our car in the parking lot and didn't confess to it, and the people at church who aren't nearly as holy as they pretend to be.
Who am I to judge? No matter what the sin of the man before me, no matter how much he has hurt me, I can never judge him. How would I possibly know how to judge such a complex creature? All I see is his act. I don't see what lies behind it- the hatred, the anger, the confusion, the loss, the abuse... How can I judge that? I only know how the outward expressions of his inward disaster have hurt me. I have no idea how his twisted existence has impacted others. I don't have any idea how it has impacted him. And I have no idea how it has impacted God.
Only God can know all of that. Only God can see- and understand- ALL of the mess. All of the hurt, all of the damage, all of the offences. Furthermore, He takes all of those offences personally. He is infinitely capable of empathy with each individual one of His creations. Who am I to judge, based on my limited knowledge, when God judges ALL? We must always defer to the higher court.
We do not have to wonder how God will judge. We already know. God has clearly decreed it already- for his sins, this man deserves to die. Why do we think that God lets evil people get away things? He has given all sinners the death sentence!
However, God is gracious. That sentence was carried out, in all it's completeness- on God's own Son. That isn't just good news for rapists and terrorists and murderers. That is good news for me, because my sentence was death as well.
And so, the greatest indictment that I can give to any man is "He needs Jesus." Just as I need Jesus. If it were not for Jesus, we would all be in Hell together for eternity.
That man needs Jesus, and Jesus has chosen me as His ambassador. I need to put down the gavel and pick up the lamp.
Who am I to judge? No matter what the sin of the man before me, no matter how much he has hurt me, I can never judge him. How would I possibly know how to judge such a complex creature? All I see is his act. I don't see what lies behind it- the hatred, the anger, the confusion, the loss, the abuse... How can I judge that? I only know how the outward expressions of his inward disaster have hurt me. I have no idea how his twisted existence has impacted others. I don't have any idea how it has impacted him. And I have no idea how it has impacted God.
Only God can know all of that. Only God can see- and understand- ALL of the mess. All of the hurt, all of the damage, all of the offences. Furthermore, He takes all of those offences personally. He is infinitely capable of empathy with each individual one of His creations. Who am I to judge, based on my limited knowledge, when God judges ALL? We must always defer to the higher court.
We do not have to wonder how God will judge. We already know. God has clearly decreed it already- for his sins, this man deserves to die. Why do we think that God lets evil people get away things? He has given all sinners the death sentence!
However, God is gracious. That sentence was carried out, in all it's completeness- on God's own Son. That isn't just good news for rapists and terrorists and murderers. That is good news for me, because my sentence was death as well.
And so, the greatest indictment that I can give to any man is "He needs Jesus." Just as I need Jesus. If it were not for Jesus, we would all be in Hell together for eternity.
That man needs Jesus, and Jesus has chosen me as His ambassador. I need to put down the gavel and pick up the lamp.
