Left Behind

Dear Friends in Christ,

Some of you may remember the Left Behind books from the mid-90’s. The series of sixteen books, authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, offered a dramatic portrayal of the end times as described in Christian eschatology, centering on the rapture, a theological event where believers are taken up to heaven, leaving the rest to face the tribulations on Earth. Although I had enough understanding of the bible to realize that they were purely fiction and did not believe the books’ account was the way the end times would play out, my faith was new and naïve enough at that point of my life that I imagined that if the rapture really was to happen I wanted to stay and fight the forces of evil on God’s behalf. A desire that evaporated as I got older.

I recently turned 65. I am beginning to think about retirement and looking forward to spending my golden years doing the things I want to do rather than focusing all my attention on the things God has needed me to do. But here we are… and I am once again thinking about the Left Behind books and realizing that I am old enough and tired enough that should the world end the way LaHaye and Jenkins describe in their books, I am more than good with being raptured and taken into heaven to be spared the resulting hardship.

And yet, our faith was made for times like we are currently living in. For the most part we have had the luxury of practicing our faith in a society where being a white, middle class, Christian was considered mainstream and conventional. We have never had to really suffer for the sake of our faith. Our faith has not been tested by persecution and rejection.

Jesus didn’t come for the people whose life was considered mainstream. Jesus didn’t come for the privileged and prosperous. Jesus came for the poor and the destitute; the oppressed and the persecuted. Jesus came to give hope in times exactly like the ones we are currently living through.

We have been given an opportunity to practice our faith in a way that the first followers of Jesus did; an opportunity for those of us who call ourselves Christian to walk our walk and shine the light of God into the current darkness; to live our faith as it was intended to be lived, knowing that no matter how hard things are, God is with us and will never leave us orphaned but will come for us (John 14:18).

As Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).”

Yours in Christ

Rev. Jane+