(…continued) This story is a parable on modern life. Like the many messages floating in from the sea, we have on our radios, TVs, smart phones, and computers, an endless flow of information and entertainment, and the opportunity to read or watch or hear whatever we want all day long. But the problem is we become more and more obsessed with the trivial, and less and less familiar with what is most important. People are up to date on every Hollywood scandal, or know every detail about the Minnesota Vikings; but many people cannot name even half of the Ten Commandments, nor can they quite remember what Good Friday and Easter is all about. And they pay little attention to what might happen after the moment of death, toward which we are all racing, nor do they pay any attention to what preparations might have to be made for when that time comes.
Most people have somewhere in their house, a copy of the Holy Bible. Like the messages in the bottles, these are words from another place. Also, like the messages in the bottles, these are words from Someone who can rescue us from the troubles and sadness and shortness of this life. Here is just one verse from that Bible, Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In that one verse is described our desperate situation, and, our hope for rescue. We are sinners, it says, and that isn’t only a harsh judgment coming in from outside of us. We feel the misery of our sinfulness in our own heart and soul. Don’t you ever get wearied by troubled relationships; tired of making mistakes and saying the wrong thing; tired of forgetting to be kind and understanding; tired of yielding to temptation; and tired of not being the sort of person you know you should be and want to be. That is sin, and the wages of sin is death, says the verse. And you don’t even need the Bible to tell you about death. We all know that our little journey here on this earth is brief, and goes by way to fast, and then it is over. But, says the second half of the verse, there can be more. There is in fact a whole eternity to be had, as the gift of God, in Christ Jesus, for all who will believe in Him. This is worth hearing about, and believing in, and paying attention to.
In the New Testament book of Revelation there is a message similar to that message from across the sea, in fact, it also was given to a man named John. This message is from across the ages,-– it is a revelation, like the name of the book says, a vision, from the distant future. And it also is from a place where we all want to go. We don’t want to just be obliterated into dust and ashes when we die. We would like to go on to a better place. This vision in Revelation is from a better place– a place beyond the grave, where God will live with us, a place where, as it says in chapter 21, there will be no more suffering, no more tears, no more death or grief or crying or pain. If there were such a place, and Christians believe there is, would we not long for it even more than one stranded on an island would hope for a return home? This message that John received from across the ages, and which he brings to us, is the most important message we could ever receive.
But does this message get the attention it deserves? Or is there, for so many people, a much deeper interest in other things, things of infinitely less value? Of course, there can be a legitimate, lesser interest in sports or politics or the stock market– but if our interest in those kinds of secondary issues leaves no time for any attention to be paid to things of eternal value, then we are most surely to be pitied, and, like those on the island, will remain lost.
The messages in the bottles along the seashore gave rise to many unanswered questions: Where did these messages come from? Who sent them? Can they really help me? But even without answers to all the questions, it was most reasonable for John to do what he was told and build a fire. In those messages there was a reason for hope. It was something well worth putting one’s faith and effort into. There had been no other hope, no other communication, from across the sea. Why would one not want to pay closest attention to that message? Why would the others run after only the most useless information?
Walker Percy in his essay said (paraphrased), “If I am in the desert dying of thirst, is it good news to know that there is a pile of diamonds just over the next hill? Of course not. Good news would be to know that there is a glass of water just over the next hill. We have to have the wisdom to know what good news is, and a life and death situation changes the value of everything.” (continued…)
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