I want to use the Gun Run as a parable for life, a lens to help us see a glimpse of the real world. Perhaps try to look at things through heaven’s eyes.
My race started in Batch D. There were many others to my sides, many in front of me and many even behind me. But because my time had started at the same time that the professionals began sprinting off the start line, my recorded time was almost 4 minutes slower than my true time from the start- to the finish line.
But by His grace, God used this experience to teach me a very important lesson. A lesson that, to some extent, I felt so that it could take hold of me.
In life, we all start from behind the same apparent start line, or so it seems to us as we venture on forging our way in life. We are all so occupied with seeking out that gap where we can slide through, get ahead and chase our goals and ‘enjoy’ ourselves. And in this way, we stay oblivious to reality, which we so gladly would choose to ignore most of the time.
But what is reality? I dare not try to describe it except with one word, “God.” For He is eternal, unchanging, and the ONLY that we can be certain of.
But waaaait you may say… Reality is unfair, full of pain and agony and it is hard a lot of times. Is it not? But then the question arises as surely as the sun rises every day, “Is God unfair, is God hard on us? Is He not a God of love and grace?” I think that question is pointless. Can clay know the potter’s emotions, and motivation or describe the potter’s thoughts? Can clay know of the potter’s strength? Who are we to prescribe feelings and attributes to God? It is true that in His Word, God helps us to understand Him, but still, we do not have infinite wisdom, knowledge, or perfect love, but God does - at least the One I believe in - otherwise why even bother believing in a god. Now ask yourself this: If God has infinite knowledge and wisdom and love and power, would His love and wisdom not be the guide of His decisions and actions.
Just think for yourself! Is it unfair towards us that Jesus, God, died for me, for you? Experiencing the most excruciating pain on the cross and added to that God forsakenness - the thing we should fear above all else - in His last moments before He gave His life on the cross. Jesus did all this, so that sinners, you and me, may have the choice of loving God back so that we can be reconciled with Him. Is that unfair!?
But if God is not unfair, then how can the world that He created, reality, be unfair? This question leads down one path only; to the answer, that reality is neither fair nor unfair. How can it be unfair if God is fair, and how can it be fair if there are millions of people who start life in batch Z?
Thus, the age-old question comes to poke its finger in our pie. Why are there so many people, who do not differ much from me and you, who are suffering? Why are there so many people who are caged in by their circumstances? So many people whose recorded time does not reflect their true effort, will, and longing to run their best race?
It is very easy to turn a blind eye towards this crisis, for it seems way too large for us to get involved in. We are so afraid to do something, so afraid of walking toward this ocean because we fear that we will be engulfed by its vastness. Not to mention that a lot of people pollute this ocean by bringing their own hidden and not-so-hidden agendas to the meeting table. And anyhow, how can my efforts make anything better? We may say, “ I have worked hard to be where I am today, if people just worked as hard as me and poured their time and effort into constructively working towards something, they too would amount to something.”
If I am completely honest, I have in the past shared these thoughts, but how do I now seek forgiveness because of it. For without blinking an eye, we so easily put ourselves on a pedestal and the Judge’s seat. For none of us knows the starting conditions of our neighbor’s race. Nor do we know the sincerity of their efforts and the longing inside their hearts to please God. This does not even begin to take account of the heaps of trash that you, me, their parents, their community, the devil, and the world has poured into their souls, completely burying their sense of worthiness, humanity, and their gifts. I can also say this to myself, but followers of Jesus need to live more aware of God’s love for them, for it is only by His power, grace, and our longing to glorify Him for all of His love that the fruit of God will start growing on more trees. Do you live as if Jesus may be coming back in your lifetime?
Back to the original allegory. People who started this race in group E and behind might not have had parents who love them as yours do, parents who spent quality time with them out of free will. They might not have had any parents at all or any people who were devoted to their development when they were little. They might not have had any proper and wholesome introduction to the Gospel and God’s love or any people who pray for them day in and day out. People may have terminal illnesses and no one who supports them, or people may have lost everyone for whom they cared and everyone who cared for them in an accident. People may be affected by war, persecution, poverty… And this is just to mention a drop out of a whole ocean of things that a lot of us so easily take for granted.
Therefore can neither I nor you think of ourselves with pride or think of ourselves to be better than anyone else. For only God knows of the determination and longing in our hearts and efforts to run solely for Him.
One important thing to remember is that we must run the race that God sets before us. For I may one day be the best trail runner in the world and scale the highest mountains in record time and shudder when I stand before God knowing that I did little to love Him and kept my fingers in my ears whenever His directions were not congruent with my will.
You see, this race, our true effort and time, cannot be measured with earthly riches, prosperity, luck, or comfort. The poor and the rich can go to hell, and just the same, both can enter into Heaven. Our earthly circumstances do not determine nor predict our fate. Nor is it a representation of God’s love for us…
At this point you may start to wonder, “Get to the point, why are there so many people who are suffering?” But I truly hope that you were sceptical when I raised that question, and by reading up to this point realized that the wisdom and knowledge needed to answer such a question is far too complex for me to grasp. You see, this knowledge is not intended for man, if I may be bold enough to say that. It is only conceivable by the infinite wisdom of God, and I believe that it is so for good reason.
But there is comfort for us. Our comfort resides in the wrists of Jesus Christ. You see, God’s hand is reaching out for all of us, He does not discriminate against race, class, sexuality, social standing, or ethnicity for we are all His creation. And if we would just grab a hold of his hand as tightly as possible, we will see our comfort… The holes in His wrists.
That is one of the many beauties of the Gospel. For we may face any trial or hardship and know that Jesus had endured the same suffering and worse so that, and here is the important bit, we may have everlasting life in communion with God if we truly choose Him. If we truly, without pretence to ourselves, consciously want to live in His presence and glorify His name. If we truly open our hearts to God in prayer and choose to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
For then suffering, evil, pain, or death has no hold on us. It is true that we sometimes falter and listen to the lies that the devil whispers into our ears causing us to doubt. But ultimately God’s love was made manifest on the dreadful cross and His promises to us outshine all darkness that we may encounter here on earth if we choose to love Him back.
Remember: “What you truly believe is made manifest in your actions”
Drink the cup that stands before you and pray, “Let not my will but Your will be done.” Be no longer held captive in a cage of despair for you have the key. The runner who has persevered the most suffering wins their race, for they had run with purpose. They had given it their all – their complete self - with the knowledge that their legs were going to cave in before halfway, and in their weakness, they ran dependant on God’s power so that He can be glorified through their actions.
While you are running, do not look to your sides and compare or judge and do not boast or think proudly of yourself. Run with your gaze set on the Cross, our pathway into heaven.
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