FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART
OP / ED BY DR. ROBERT KENNEDY
A mother called me a few days ago, and I figured it had to be urgent. I could not answer her first or second call, for I was on the phone listening to my sister-in-law, who had just heard of her sister’s death. I knew of the long sickness of the sister, and I sensed the pain of my sister-in-law.
I knew she needed to know I was listening (for that is what I knew was necessary at the moment). Those times of bantering that we often did as we called on our friendly talk were suspended. The moment needed serious reflection and space for bringing our pain of the brokenness caused by death, so I listened and listened, and then I prayed.
By the time I had finished listening and praying with my sister-in-law, there was another call and another, all sharing some pain from brokenness or losses. Then, later in the evening, we went to the launch of a website for the Foundation of the University, which my wife and I attended. We returned very late at night, and after worship, we went to bed.
The next morning, we went into another day’s routine, and I did not return the call of the one person who had called twice the day prior until my wife and I had returned from our morning exercise. On the way home, my wife asked, did you call so and so who tried to speak with you twice yesterday? I said, “No,” but I will as soon as I get home. So I did as promised and thought it would be a short call; however, it was not.
I had to spend 30 minutes listening. It was from a mother whom I had baptized and pastored. She always called several times, and she had my ears, and I know she knew of my attitude toward her and her family. A few weeks before, she called and appraised me of the incident with her son, over whom we had prayed many times. He is accused of taking the lives of two persons and was arrested. He is now in prison, getting ready for his trial.
I do not know whether she forgot that she had told me the story twice before and that we had prayed, but this time she wanted me to listen to what was happening further. She wanted my full attention. And because I knew her circumstances and how safe she felt when she connected with me as her former pastor, even though I am a distance away, I knew I needed to listen to her.
She went into great detail to inform me of all she had done to warn her son. She spoke slowly, and I needed to go, but I had to listen to let her know that I concurred that she had done her best and that it was not her fault that the boy had committed the egregious act. In parting, I prayed for her healing, stating that one day she and I will understand the MYSTERY OF THE CURSE, although I do not think we will ever fully understand.
The Curse, we know, has a reason (Proverbs 26:2), and as is apparent from the above, we might be able to explain all the reasons. Nevertheless, it is more than likely that some of the MYSTERY will remain. Not even eternity will give us the finality of the answers we might seek.
We know today that “The wages of sin is death” and that “the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23). These are indisputable facts. We can accept or reject them as we choose. But we might not be able to explain every detail about them. We might be spending all eternity still investigating them. Of course, I do not know how much we will care about explaining them as much as we will care about getting away from the Curse of sin and enjoying eternity.
For all the pain that sin has brought, I do not know that I will have an interest in eternity to solve its mystery. What I will be happy for is that I can be home with Jesus. Yes, after listening to my sister-in-law on the death of her sister, who was ravaged by disease, and then the intervening stories of sadness and the heart cry of the mother whose son committed the murder, the lyrics of the song below came to mind as I reflect on being away from it all and being in a place of safety and rest.
Hallelujah, home at last. The redeemed are home at last.
All heaven is filled with happiness, for the age of sin is past
Around the great white throne near the kings of kings
They clap their hand till the heaven rings,
Hallelujah, home at last; the redeemed are home at last.
Yes, to be away from the legacy of the curse into the land of the blessed will be something.
How would you like to live in a place without a curse?
Do not forget that we bring curses on ourselves by our bad choices today. But if we make the right choice and secure eternity in the home of the blessed, we are never to experience a curse again.
