It’s interesting to juxtapose two popular pieces of Christian fiction, written almost a century apart:
One is Charles M. Sheldon’s In His Steps. Written in 1896 by a Congregational pastor on his front porch, it became a global best-seller in part because of a defective copyright. The storyline challenges the readers to live by the question “What Would Jesus Do?” (which has since been abbreviated to WWJD?). I remember reading it for the first time as a teenager in the spring of 1987. It inspired me to think of how Christians can really make a difference when we set out to do what Jesus would do. Life is full of holy possibilities. The other book was written in 1995 by a dispensational pastor named Tim LaHaye, collaborating with a fiction writer named Jerry Jenkins: Left Behind. It imagines a scenario where a mix of puzzled non-Christians and people who thought they were Christians are left behind when the rapture takes the true believers to heaven. The plot develops into a global conspiracy with the Romanian head-of-state becoming the UN Secretary, and then a global emperor. The UN relocates into Babylon, while the major storyline focuses on a team of budding new Christians who are aware of what’s happening in the conspiracy and band together. It’s entertaining reading, but it builds on fears and tends towards conspiracy theories that are not consistent with the fruit of Spirit. Left Behind finds some of its inspiration in Revelation, the last book of the Bible. But a key thing to remember is this: Revelation was written to bless us, not to stir up fears and reckless speculation. It’s meant to challenge our fears and to help us live faithfully. I thought of this as I was studying the seven beatitudes of Revelation. They focus on several things…
The Christian life is like that. Christ is coming; help is on the way. He’s got the end taken care of. We just live faithfully in the meantime. Sometimes things are hard, but we know that He’ll see us through. God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church
1 Comment
|
Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
Categories |