10/10/21

 

Snake-Bitten

            After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta.  The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it.  Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.  When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”  He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

Acts 28:1-6

             

                Acts 28 opens with tragedy after tragedy after tragedy befalling Paul and his travelling companions.  Not only was Paul unjustly arrested and beaten…not only was he being taken to Rome to testify for his life…not only did a storm sink his ship…not only was it cold and raining on those who had just survived the sea…but the fire that was started to provide comfort for the men provoked a venomous snake to bite Paul, leaving the spectators to mourn his impending death.  Let’s be clear, this was not Paul running away from God’s call like Jonah.  All this happened in the course of a faithful life of obedience.

                Tragedy comes upon us all.  Men and women.  Believers and skeptics.  Rich and poor.  Tragedy, pain, suffering and loss will fall on each of us as they are a part of this life that we live.  The man of God was not immune to lousy circumstances and everyone watched to see how he would react.

                Is my son’s diagnosis a tragedy?  Is a child born with spina bifoda or FAS or downs syndrome a tragedy?  Is a child that dies after a few short years in our lives a tragedy?  Is a life of disability and delay a tragedy?  Are these events and lives that should leave us mourning and angry?  Have we and our children been dealt the bad hand in life, living lives that are cursed while others get the best that the world has to offer?

                Is this life a tragedy?  Do our families deserve the sympathy and pity of our communities?

This life that we have certainly includes its share of special hardships: sleep deprivation, pain management, steep learning curves, isolation and soul-crushing loss to name a few.  However, pain does not make something bad.  This life has not been what we initially hoped and planned when we thought of having children.  However, a change in plans does not mean that something is bad either.

                We have the choice.  As annoying and over-simplified as it sounds, we have the choice as to whether we are living in a life that is filled with tragedy or filled with wonder.  This is not an encouragement to “fake it until you make it.”  This is not an invitation into denial and perma-smiles and brainless Christianity.  Look at Paul.  He could have reviewed his life and decided that he was cursed and lived in self-pity and anger towards God.  He could have concluded that he was just suffering for all the torment that he brought against the church.  Instead he decided that since he was still alive, God must have purpose for him.  And if God had a purpose for him then God would be with him.  And if God was with him then he could look at the events in his life with wonder at how God was working and doing miracles through Paul.  He could have died in prison.  He could have died at sea.  He could have died from the snake bite.  Instead God brought him through so that he could meet new people and share the good news with them.  Paul lived in a state of wonder as he looked at how God was at work every day and the people around him noticed.

                As with Paul, the world is watching to see how we will react.  Do we look at the sleepless night as an unending assault on our sanity or do we look with wonder at how God brings other people into our lives to care for us and our children?  Do we look at the loss of a loved one as a pain that will permanently break our hearts or do we look with wonder at how that single life was used to transform so many people?  Do we look at how hard our lives have become or do we stand amazed at how we have grown in compassion and love and patience and hope because of the addition of this little one?

                Is our life one of tragedy or wonder?  Living in wonder is not as easy as just saying the right answer, but if we know which direction we want to head, at least we know what to focus on and look for in every day. 

               

             

A moment to reflect:

Do you want to live a life of tragedy or of wonder?  What have you seen recently that could be viewed with eyes of wonder?