Sufferings and Glory

Suffering is part of life. The sooner we grasp this, the better. I recoil when I hear Christians accuse someone of being deficient in faith because they are not living with physical health and material abundance. We are so ignorant about the causes of suffering (Job 2, the blind man in John 9, Paul, etc.) that we must be careful not to tell more than we know. The idea of physical and material abundance bestowed on believers is rooted in the Old Testament when the concept of heaven was vague and not well-developed. The Old Testament was more existential – enjoy life “here and now” rather than the great benefit to come later. Heaven became THE destination when Jesus described it.

Christians around the world celebrate “All Saints Day” on November 1. A “saint” in the Bible refers to anyone who is a follower of Jesus. We can learn from studying the biographies of Christians who have been especially holy or effective in ministry. Two things all saints have in common – they have suffered and when they die, they go to live forever in the glory of God.

I am grateful for the example of the saints I’ve known in ministry in the churches I’ve served, including Asbury. It is always appropriate on “All Saints Day” to reflect upon their examples and influence.