It was about 2 weeks ago that I first heard Listener's Wooden Heart (the song, not the album) and it was about 2 weeks ago that I became a Listener fan. I listened to Wooden Heart a good couple dozen times, each time, my heart aching just a little bit.
The song is about being broken people, something I think everyone can relate to. The lyrics are moving and deep and Dan Smith delivers each line with a sense of passion and heart wrenching emotion that its hard for me not to tear up and connect with him on this track.
Enjoy the song and read along.
We’re all born to broken people on their most honest day of living
and since that first breath... We’ll need grace that we’ve never given
I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts
and it's not only when these eyes are closed
these lies are ropes that I tie down in my stomach,
but they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather
and my dreams are sails that I point towards my true north,
stretched thin over my rib bones, and pray that it gets better
but it won’t won’t, at least I don’t believe it will...
so I've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship,
to sail these blood red seas and find your coasts.
don’t let these waves wash away your hopes
this war-ship is sinking, and I still believe in anchors
pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart, I still believe in saviours
but I know that we are all made out of shipwrecks, every single board
washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores
so come on and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember
I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it
but we’re making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts
we all have the same holes in our hearts...
everything falls apart at the exact same time
that it all comes together perfectly for the next step
but my fear is this prison... that I keep locked below the main deck
I keep a key under my pillow, it’s quiet and it’s hidden
and my hopes are weapons that I’m still learning how to use right
but they’re heavy and I’m awkward...always running out of fight
so I’ve carved a wooden heart, put it in this sinking ship
hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks
because I am made out of shipwrecks, every twisted beam
lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea
so come on let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, just some tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember
My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water
I wear this tide like loose skin, rock me to sea
if we hold on tight we’ll hold each other together
and not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep
all these machines will rust I promise, but we'll still be electric
shocking each other back to life
Your hand in mine, my fingers in your veins connected
our bones grown together inside
our hands entwined, your fingers in my veins braided
our spines grown stronger in time
because are church is made out of shipwrecks
from every hull these rocks have claimed
but we pick ourselves up, and try and grow better through the change
so come on y'all and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, were just tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Casey Weston... I barely loved you.
If you didn't see her performance, you can watch it below.
Dear Future Wife. Cookies. I Love Them!
But the title of this blog could have just been a tweet and it would have accomplished my goals. So because I'm writing a blog, there must be more to say on the subject that is less shallow then just wanting cookies from pretty girls (which I will still accept).
Don Miller posted a blog this week about making a list of things you want in your future spouse. This is the same advice I gave a friend of mine a couple weeks ago and its advice that I myself have undertaken.
One of the things I put in my list is likes to bake. No spiritual or emotional significance to this, I just want a girl that likes to bake.
I grew up in a house where baking happened all the time. My mom bakes constantly. She bakes because she wants to most of the time. And I, as someone who enjoys eating baked goods, like this. And we all know that guys want to marry girls like their mom so... Obviously, my future wife should also enjoy baking.
Two years ago for Christmas my mom filled my stocking with all sorts of assorted breads and muffins. It was awesome. Christmas time is like cookie heaven at the Patton household. I don't think my brother-in-law desired cookies at Christmas the way he does now until he started dating my sister. Seriously guys, there are all sorts of cookies. Oatmeal Scotchies, Gingerbread Men, Snicker Doodles, Ginger Snaps, Peanut Butter. Not to mention eggnog bread, coffee cakes, and all sorts of other yummy treats.
Favorite Christmas Cookie Pastime: Breaking and eating JUST the heads off the Gingerbread Men.
Too be fair my love of baked goods doesn't just come from my mom baking all the time. My grandfather bakes too. His cinnamon rolls... I would kill a man for his cinnamon rolls. The knowledge that my grandfather will be around always makes me happy because it generally means there will be cinnamon rolls or homemade doughnuts. Both are excellent.
So I love cookies. And pies, cupcakes, breads, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and other sweet and delicious baked goods.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Hope and Despair Go Hand in Hand
If I were to be honest, I'd say I don't always believe God is in control. Like I said last week, life is hard. And even though God is always good, I don't always believe he's in control. And life makes me question and examine and pray prayers that are tough. It's not something I view as a crisis of faith or doubt in God's ability to take care of me. But tough times call for tough questions. Because if I don't re-examine or re-question, then I start to have doubts. Both in God and myself.
The question asked at the beginning of the message last night at church was "Does God hold the whole world in his hands?" It's a heavy question and in that instance, I knew it was going to be a tough sermon for me. And then Lamentations 3 was read.
I feel a kinship with the writers of the bible, especially David and Jeremiah. Between the Psalms and Lamentations, there's a lot of pain and there's a lot of tough prayers. And I appreciate more each day that they're in the bible. Because it serves as a reminder that life isn't always easy and in our anguish and pain we can call out to God and ask why. It makes me feel better about my own prayers, knowing that the Psalms are full of David's cries.
Did I mention last night's sermon was about God's faithfulness?
Lamentations 3 isn't really the model scripture for God's Faithfulness if you ask me.
1 [a]I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the LORD’s wrath.
2 He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
10 Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
11 he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
12 He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
13 He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
14 I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
17 I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
These are tough words that brought tears to my eyes last night. Because I can understand the pain. I think everyone can. No matter how long you've followed God at one point or another we feel like God has turned his back on us and our hope is gone. I know many times over the last year and a half in my frustration and desperation I've said "God why?" It's hard to see God answering the prayers of those around you while yours seem to only hit the ceiling. And that's when I begin to question my faith in God and if my faithfulness is preventing God from working in my life. And I don't have an answer. Because I don't know. I don't know why persons A, B, and C find jobs while myself and persons D, E, and F all struggle to find work. It doesn't seem fair. It doesn't make sense and at some point I begin to question if God works in that way.
But Lamentations 3 doesn't end with this pit of despair.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.
Despite whatever isn't happening in my life and despite whatever is going wrong or falling down around me, God is faithful. No full-time job in a year and a half but the money has always been there for me to pay my bills. The answer I'm looking for isn't always how God is going to answer a prayer. Because he's faithful even when I'm not.
It's why I'm able to sing "You are the Faithful ONE" with a smile on my face and mean every word. Because God is always faithful.
The question asked at the beginning of the message last night at church was "Does God hold the whole world in his hands?" It's a heavy question and in that instance, I knew it was going to be a tough sermon for me. And then Lamentations 3 was read.
I feel a kinship with the writers of the bible, especially David and Jeremiah. Between the Psalms and Lamentations, there's a lot of pain and there's a lot of tough prayers. And I appreciate more each day that they're in the bible. Because it serves as a reminder that life isn't always easy and in our anguish and pain we can call out to God and ask why. It makes me feel better about my own prayers, knowing that the Psalms are full of David's cries.
Did I mention last night's sermon was about God's faithfulness?
Lamentations 3 isn't really the model scripture for God's Faithfulness if you ask me.
1 [a]I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the LORD’s wrath.
2 He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
10 Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
11 he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
12 He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
13 He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
14 I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
17 I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
These are tough words that brought tears to my eyes last night. Because I can understand the pain. I think everyone can. No matter how long you've followed God at one point or another we feel like God has turned his back on us and our hope is gone. I know many times over the last year and a half in my frustration and desperation I've said "God why?" It's hard to see God answering the prayers of those around you while yours seem to only hit the ceiling. And that's when I begin to question my faith in God and if my faithfulness is preventing God from working in my life. And I don't have an answer. Because I don't know. I don't know why persons A, B, and C find jobs while myself and persons D, E, and F all struggle to find work. It doesn't seem fair. It doesn't make sense and at some point I begin to question if God works in that way.
But Lamentations 3 doesn't end with this pit of despair.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.
Despite whatever isn't happening in my life and despite whatever is going wrong or falling down around me, God is faithful. No full-time job in a year and a half but the money has always been there for me to pay my bills. The answer I'm looking for isn't always how God is going to answer a prayer. Because he's faithful even when I'm not.
It's why I'm able to sing "You are the Faithful ONE" with a smile on my face and mean every word. Because God is always faithful.
It's Pixar Week
I have a no so secret obsession with Pixar. All you have to do is walk into my room to see that I love Pixar. From posters to toys, from books to piggy banks, it's obvious I love Pixar. I own all the films plus the DVD collection of all their shorts.
I loved Toy Story when it came out in 1995. 11 year old me loved the movie and 26 year old me still loves it. I could quote the movie at age 11 and I still can today. I must have watched Toy Story a dozen times in anticipation for Toy Story 3. When Toy Story 1 and 2 were re-released to theaters in 3D, I saw them. I love Toy Story.
But I must confess, although I've always loved Toy Story, I've not always been a huge Pixar fan. A Bug's Life went more or less unnoticed. Toy Story was good, but not the original. I don't remember seeing Monster's Inc till later into my Pixar love and Finding Nemo wasn't a film I loved when I first saw it either.
But The Incredibles would change things forever. It's a super hero movie so instantly the little boy inside of me was in love. I LOVE THE INCREDIBLES!!! Seriously, LOVE IT! 2 hours of awesome. If you don't like The Incredibles I would suggest that something might be wrong with you. The Incredibles is probably the reason why my brother-in-law Jake and I are such good friends. We both have an unhealthy common love for this film.
I'm not kidding. I have an Incredibles t-shirt, a Mr. Incredible action figure, an Incredibles piggy bank. I also have 3 posters. One of Mr. Incredible and 2 official movie posters. And even if you watched the Incredibles and thought, "That movie was ok", there's NO WAY you could have not loved the short Jack Jack Attack!
After The Incredibles, I knew that Pixar and I were going to have a long, loving relationship. I went back and watch Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo, falling in love with those films.
I liked Cars. It was an enjoyable film and when I watched it now, I feel like it's an unfairly judged film. Ratatouille was a great film and Wall-E has so much charm that one can't hate it.
And then Pixar decided that making great films was no longer an option. They were going to make the best films.
Up was amazing! It should have won Best Picture. Up was so much more then a great animated film or an excellent kid’s movie. Up was an amazing movie for everyone. I didn't think anyone didn't like Up until I talked to my friend Jay. Up has a lot of heart. I've seen up like 50+ times and it will still bring tears to my eyes. Up set the bar super high.
And Toy Story 3 jumped that bar. Again, should have won Best Picture. As such a big fan of the first film Toy Story 3 did a great job at capturing everything I love about the original but giving the film more heart and soul. If we're honest, Toy Story 3 was a movie made for people like me. The film brought tears to my eyes, and at one moment had me ready to jump out of my movie seat and scream at John Lasseter, who was going to let Lee Unkrich kill off Buzz Lightyear. Thankfully Buzz and the gang lived. But that's how compelling the film was (Or maybe it's how big of a loser I am, I'm not sure).
So Cars 2 is about to be dropped on the world and too be honest, my expectations are super high. I mean, both Up and Toy Story 3 were my favorite films the years they were released and both of those movies are absolutely amazing! The trailers for Cars 2 have been great. They showcase a lot of action, an interesting story line, and the latest trailer shows that there's going to be a lot of heart in this film, and that's exactly what makes Pixar Films the best. Not only are the stories amazing, fun, and full of action. But at their core there's something deep and move that connects with the viewers.
So I’m excited for Cars 2. Enjoy Pixar week. Watch the first Cars. Heck, watch all the Pixar Films! You won’t regret it.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Curse of Perfect Days
Can we be honest? Life sucks. Am I right? From the crushing and life changing (death, divorce/break-ups, loss of jobs) to the minor (stuck in traffic, too hot, no apple pies at McDonalds) life is hard. And most of the time our (my) response is not very positive. I get mad at McDonalds for not having apple pies. I curse at the car in front of me not moving faster. I question and get angry with God for the death of a loved one....
Our response is natural. We want answers to the why questions. Why did my grandfather die? Why did my parents get divorced? Why didn't my girlfriend want to be with me anymore? Why doesn't McDonalds have apple pies when it's on the menu? (Clearly I'm upset at McDonalds for never having apple pies).
And we see this response of frustration in the bible. Moses throws down and breaks the 10 commandments when he comes down the mountain and sees the people dancing around the golden calf (Exodus 32:19). Jesus gets frustrated at the people in the temple and over turns the tables and drives the people out making money in God's house. And next time you read the gospels and Jesus tells a parable and then the disciples come up and ask what he meant, just insert a sigh before Jesus' response.
But about 8 years ago I read a verse that changed the way I view the difficult days.
"So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."
Job 2:7-10
Job is having a rough day or two. First he loses all his livestock, workers, and children. But that isn't good enough for Satan who decides he needs to up the stakes and inflicts Job with sores. I think in another translation it says boils. Yikes. Job at this point is probably not stoked. But Job doesn't say anything. Just goes into a mourning period.
Mrs. Job on the other hand is none to please. She just lost all she had too! And her husband is now covered with sores and probably not looking to hot. So she's pissed. Who can blame her? She just wants her husband to get angry and go ape! Curse God and Die. Her words. That's harsh.
But Job's response was so deeply impacting that it has yet to leave me.
"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
Say what? The New Living Translation words it "Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” It seriously smacked me in the face. And today that thought returned while I was in prayer.
Yeah, sometimes life is unfair. Things happen that are rough but I think its good to always remember that God is still God and God is good, all the time. He can turn any situation and use for his glory and with him we can overcome all the sucks. Rough days and heartaches and death are all a part of life. But that doesn't make them God's fault. And it's not our place to blame God for them.
It is our responsibility to praise and worship God for how awesome he is in spite of whatever is happening in our life. Because God is always good no matter how bad life gets.
Our response is natural. We want answers to the why questions. Why did my grandfather die? Why did my parents get divorced? Why didn't my girlfriend want to be with me anymore? Why doesn't McDonalds have apple pies when it's on the menu? (Clearly I'm upset at McDonalds for never having apple pies).
And we see this response of frustration in the bible. Moses throws down and breaks the 10 commandments when he comes down the mountain and sees the people dancing around the golden calf (Exodus 32:19). Jesus gets frustrated at the people in the temple and over turns the tables and drives the people out making money in God's house. And next time you read the gospels and Jesus tells a parable and then the disciples come up and ask what he meant, just insert a sigh before Jesus' response.
But about 8 years ago I read a verse that changed the way I view the difficult days.
"So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."
Job 2:7-10
Job is having a rough day or two. First he loses all his livestock, workers, and children. But that isn't good enough for Satan who decides he needs to up the stakes and inflicts Job with sores. I think in another translation it says boils. Yikes. Job at this point is probably not stoked. But Job doesn't say anything. Just goes into a mourning period.
Mrs. Job on the other hand is none to please. She just lost all she had too! And her husband is now covered with sores and probably not looking to hot. So she's pissed. Who can blame her? She just wants her husband to get angry and go ape! Curse God and Die. Her words. That's harsh.
But Job's response was so deeply impacting that it has yet to leave me.
"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
Say what? The New Living Translation words it "Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” It seriously smacked me in the face. And today that thought returned while I was in prayer.
Yeah, sometimes life is unfair. Things happen that are rough but I think its good to always remember that God is still God and God is good, all the time. He can turn any situation and use for his glory and with him we can overcome all the sucks. Rough days and heartaches and death are all a part of life. But that doesn't make them God's fault. And it's not our place to blame God for them.
It is our responsibility to praise and worship God for how awesome he is in spite of whatever is happening in our life. Because God is always good no matter how bad life gets.
Friday, June 10, 2011
If Love Wins, Why Aren't Christians Happy About It?
As always I will preface this post by stating that I actually know nothing and have no real theological or biblical knowledge and so everything I say is just my opinion and purely an attempt at talking through my own thoughts and issues and questioning.
So I read Love Wins by Rob Bell. I liked the book. I don't think it deserved any of the controversy that surrounded it. I enjoyed the book. Rob Bell did a good job at just presenting differing ideas and thoughts on heaven and hell. Some were good; some were a little out there. It didn't change my life and it didn't change my views on heaven and hell. But it got me thinking.
Which I think is the point of books like Love Wins. There should've been a dialogue started. Questions asked, answers given and challenged and people should've been talking about a difficult topic. But instead it seemed like damage control was being done before the book was released or read. It was as if people were bashing the book so their congregation or followers would not even bother picking the book up and thus, no conversation could be started. If no one reads Love Wins and is challenged, then no one can ask questions.
And I will state, I understand a viewpoint where pastors or religious leaders would not want some people to read Love Wins. I'm not unreasonable and I understand that there are people, new and young in their faith and Love Wins would challenge them to a point that could be really hurtful to their belief in God. But I still don't believe that's a solid enough reason for all the hate thrown Rob Bells way.
So why aren't Christians happy about Love Wins? I have an idea I want to throw out there. Just go with me on this one.
There are people Christians don't want to go to Heaven.
Boom. If you don't believe me do a twitter search on Osama Bin Laden and just look at all the words from Christians about how happy they are that he's in hell. Look at all the tweets from non-christians about how happy they are that he's in hell. How blown would people be if they got to heaven and saw Osama Bin Laden there?
We aren't excited about the idea of rapists, murderers, terrorists, and people who have committed all sorts of evil being in heaven with us. I've heard people complain about death row inmates or people on their death bed being able to come to Christ right before they die. "How come they can live a life of evil and accept Christ right before they die and get into heaven? It's not fair!"
We will rejoice when parents, siblings, friends, and other people we love accept Christ, even on their death bed, but when it comes to people who we have deemed evil or unworthy, we aren't comfortable with the idea of them being in heaven.
But Jesus does address this in the bible and he address people being unhappy about it.
Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Is that the beauty of God? That he loves everyone so much and desires so badly to have relationship with everyone and spend eternity with everyone that it doesn't matter if you come to Christ at the age of 5 and spend your entire life serving and following him, or you come to him on your death bed, he accepts you and welcomes you with open arms. The reward at the end of the day is the same and that's the beauty of God's grace. It's all welcoming an all encompassing.
Shouldn’t the body, the bride of Christ, be excited that more people will be with us in Heaven? Shouldn’t God’s grace and redemption for everyone, no matter how, where, or when it comes, be something exciting and hopeful? Shouldn’t we be praying that somehow, someway God would change people’s heart and deliver people like Osama Bin Laden, so that they CAN spend eternity in Heaven with the Father? Should that be the goal? Shouldn’t that be our desire?
I don’t know who will be in heaven or what heaven will be like. The God that loves so much, that is love at his essence, that he would send people to hell to be tormented forever is hard to reconcile. Eternity is a mystery that no one living has figured out. But it’s good to engage in conversation, ask questions and talk about it.
Does love win? Can love win? Hasn’t love already won?
“For God so LOVED the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
So I read Love Wins by Rob Bell. I liked the book. I don't think it deserved any of the controversy that surrounded it. I enjoyed the book. Rob Bell did a good job at just presenting differing ideas and thoughts on heaven and hell. Some were good; some were a little out there. It didn't change my life and it didn't change my views on heaven and hell. But it got me thinking.
Which I think is the point of books like Love Wins. There should've been a dialogue started. Questions asked, answers given and challenged and people should've been talking about a difficult topic. But instead it seemed like damage control was being done before the book was released or read. It was as if people were bashing the book so their congregation or followers would not even bother picking the book up and thus, no conversation could be started. If no one reads Love Wins and is challenged, then no one can ask questions.
And I will state, I understand a viewpoint where pastors or religious leaders would not want some people to read Love Wins. I'm not unreasonable and I understand that there are people, new and young in their faith and Love Wins would challenge them to a point that could be really hurtful to their belief in God. But I still don't believe that's a solid enough reason for all the hate thrown Rob Bells way.
So why aren't Christians happy about Love Wins? I have an idea I want to throw out there. Just go with me on this one.
There are people Christians don't want to go to Heaven.
Boom. If you don't believe me do a twitter search on Osama Bin Laden and just look at all the words from Christians about how happy they are that he's in hell. Look at all the tweets from non-christians about how happy they are that he's in hell. How blown would people be if they got to heaven and saw Osama Bin Laden there?
We aren't excited about the idea of rapists, murderers, terrorists, and people who have committed all sorts of evil being in heaven with us. I've heard people complain about death row inmates or people on their death bed being able to come to Christ right before they die. "How come they can live a life of evil and accept Christ right before they die and get into heaven? It's not fair!"
We will rejoice when parents, siblings, friends, and other people we love accept Christ, even on their death bed, but when it comes to people who we have deemed evil or unworthy, we aren't comfortable with the idea of them being in heaven.
But Jesus does address this in the bible and he address people being unhappy about it.
Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Is that the beauty of God? That he loves everyone so much and desires so badly to have relationship with everyone and spend eternity with everyone that it doesn't matter if you come to Christ at the age of 5 and spend your entire life serving and following him, or you come to him on your death bed, he accepts you and welcomes you with open arms. The reward at the end of the day is the same and that's the beauty of God's grace. It's all welcoming an all encompassing.
Shouldn’t the body, the bride of Christ, be excited that more people will be with us in Heaven? Shouldn’t God’s grace and redemption for everyone, no matter how, where, or when it comes, be something exciting and hopeful? Shouldn’t we be praying that somehow, someway God would change people’s heart and deliver people like Osama Bin Laden, so that they CAN spend eternity in Heaven with the Father? Should that be the goal? Shouldn’t that be our desire?
I don’t know who will be in heaven or what heaven will be like. The God that loves so much, that is love at his essence, that he would send people to hell to be tormented forever is hard to reconcile. Eternity is a mystery that no one living has figured out. But it’s good to engage in conversation, ask questions and talk about it.
Does love win? Can love win? Hasn’t love already won?
“For God so LOVED the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
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