FOR GOOD THINGS TO COME August 7, 2020

While waiting for the shuttle service, one officemate started talking about what she heard from the grapevine—how, some people are saying that after, and as a result of the pandemic, there’s going to be a world war.  Well, technically, people have always been at war—between countries, between other people, and even internally within themselves.  This conversation seemingly alludes to the book of Revelation about the four horsemen in chapter 6 verses 1 to 8 (i.e, the conquering white horseman of false religion or ungodly philosophies, the red horseman of war, the black horseman (who brings weighing scales, while a voice from the midst of the four beasts from the throne of GOD calling out the four most precious commodities during this time: wheat, barley, oil, and wine—hence, I call this horseman, ‘the black horseman of hyperinflation and global food shortage’, or the ‘worldwide economic crisis and collapse guy’), and the grey horseman of death. 

 

We are indeed in the last days, because although these things have happened before, but this year, they seem to be happening all at once even before the year is half spent, and people are getting more and more scared by the day, especially since our country is now the CoViD-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia, the world’s number one source of foreign workers, both on sea and on land.  One news report says that according to the study of the genetic strain of SARS COV-2, the strain which caused this rising wave nowadays was traced to the crewmen aboard the Diamond Princess, where more than or about half were Filipinos, and the community contagion probably happened when they were repatriated home.  On the other hand, an official of an International Shipping Association is appealing to our government that Filipino seamen be sent back to work because, comprising more than half of all seafarers around the world, their absence is a huge blow to the manpower running the ships that bring trade and commerce worldwide.

 

It is difficult for a Filipino household to send loved ones, family and friends to such a dangerous situation, but for the sake of trying to survive amidst this global recession and for a better future, one must also carefully weigh the balance between sacrificing our kin and the safety and health of everyone.  We are living in a broken world indeed, when we have to send our family members to work even if doing so means that their lives are most definitely at stake, in order for the rest of the family to live.

 

However, we have consolation and hope in the Word we read today, in the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 9.  He showed how the sacrifices made by the Jewish priests in giving up of offerings, particularly animal sacrifices, in order to ask forgiveness from GOD for his and the people’s sins, is actually consummated by the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself once and for all, as the perfect one-time sacrifice that would deliver our souls from spiritual death.  Humanity attained The One Perfect trade-in, in order for us to be reconciled with GOD, and for that He has become both our High Priest, and our Lamb Offering.

 

Just as we offer up our loved ones to work abroad so that the entire family will survive, as Christians, when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are also acknowledging His offering of Himself in order that we might all live forever.  His sacrifice is not only for our physical and material needs, but more than all these, His sacrifice earned for us the right to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom.  In spite of what the whole world may be going through right now, may we always remember that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross both made binding His testament and promise to us of a place in His kingdom.  Even during this physical life and in the face of hardship and suffering, may we stand confident in His assurance that in our lives, He is constantly working for more good things to come.