Left: Stag at Sharky’s, George Bellows, 1909
In our discussion of the book of Revelation last Tuesday, this verse jumped out at me: “for the great day of [God's] wrath has come, who can stand before it?” (Rev. 6.17)
Who can stand?
In these troubled times you can’t count on many things. A group of Pomona High School students youTubed the President describing their worries: what if mom and dad lost their jobs? What if the bank foreclosed on their home? Could they leave school to get a job? (NBC Nightly News 3-19-2009)
Who can stand?
Your favorite sin gets under your skin. All of a sudden, you’re back in familiar territory, flat on your face or your fanny. You wonder how many times you’ll fall for that gag.
If you’re like me, you’ve given up promising to do better. You know promises are worth about as much as GM stock.
But you must give up your pet sins, as well as those you hate.
Who can stand?
In the classic film Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman portrays Lloyd Jackson, a decorated veteran sentenced to two years on a road gang for vandalism. He has to establish himself in the pecking order, quickly squaring off against the leader Dragline, played by Arthur Kennedy. In this unforgettable scene you see how he does it.
I intended to write about external forces; it turns out the hardest foes to beat lie within, those “blue devils” (Tennessee Williams) which hound us relentlessly.
God’s standard also is unrelenting — “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood,” Hebrews 12.4 (RSV).
The secret is to keep getting up. ”When people fall, do they not get up again?” Jer 8:4 (NRSV)
Don’t waste time feeling guilty. “Real guilt doesn’t last—real change does.” Ask forgiveness. Get back on your feet as many times as it takes.
You wonder, doesn’t God get tired of our sin-capades? According to Jesus, we have at least 490 times to ask forgiveness. I’ve exceeded my limit; God, however, is not keeping count.
Who can stand?
Paul said,
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Eph 6:11-17 (NRSV)
The good news answer to the question “Who can stand?” is this: by the sheer grit of God, who never gives up on us, you and I can!
Photo by Mary Fran
Is despair a sin? I’m trying hard to stand up again when it knocks me down. There are other things, but the despair opens the door to them. I know it’s not rational–that is, it’s not based on likely outcomes. It’s anxiety to the 3rd power, I think.
No! Despair is a human response to difficulty, especially the intractable type that hangs on and doesn’t let go. Despair is the heart cry “God! Why does it have to be so hard?” Despair is the Gethsemane of the soul, the oil press, which yields something so precious: there’s nothing more you can do to me, and I’m still here by the grace of God. I love the Debra Kerr character in Night of the Iguana; she talks about her despair as a “blue devil” and what overcomes it is endurance. When I hit rock bottom, I turn to this passage, among others:
8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, 11 as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 2 Cor 1:8-11 (NRSV)
You’ve written so eloquently of your struggles. But I know they take their toll, especially when fatigue and pain hit and stay. All I can say is I’m a fellow struggler, and you have my heart and my prayers.
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