The Perfect Storm
Have you heard about the word, “the
perfect storm”? Here the word
“perfect” is not used in the sense of ideal, but in the sense of combining
contributing factors. When we go through a layoff plus a recession. One illness
after another. A divorce plus death of a loved one. We may handle one challenge,
but if two or more trials come at a time, it’s enough to make us feel
overwhelmed and wonder, “Will I survive?”
“Who will deliver me from all this?”
I don’t know about you, but for me, the Book of Revelation is a go-to book when I go through the valley, because it tells me how the story ends. It helps us to see things from an eternal perspective. So now I am again reading it. In particular, today’s scripture (chs 19-20) is one of my favorites. It tells us the secret to perfect peace in the midst of the perfect storm in life. God shows John (and us) the great salvation vision in these two chapters. John’s salvation vision is composed of two elements, two very different images – a meal and a war.[1] On the surface, these two images seem to be in conflict with each other, but in a deeper level, they are complementary to one another.
Communion
First, John tastes and sees God’s
salvation as a feast. John hears the
voice of a great multitude, saying, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him
glory, because the marriage of the lamb
has come and his bride has made herself ready” (19:7). And he also hears the
angel saying, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (9)
Suppose you are invited to a wedding banquet. What’s happening there? You meet people – your family, relatives, and old friends. You meet bride and bridegroom. You enjoy good food and each other’s company. There is laughter, joy, celebration, intimacy, fellowship, communion. That’s the image of God’s salvation.
We often hear this question, “Are you saved?” Though it’s an important question, it may mislead us to interpret salvation as a past act. But salvation is more than just a ticket to heaven. The Bible refers to salvation as the line, not the dot. The Bible refers to salvation as an ongoing process, deepening relationship with Jesus, journey to restoration of God’s image. So the Bible says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). Salvation not in the sense of earning or shaping with our own strengths and performances, but in the sense of deepening our relationship with Jesus and perfecting our love for him by God’s grace. And this mainly happens at God’s table – the marriage supper of the lamb, every time we come and have a meal and fellowship with him. For my family, every Saturday we enjoy Pancake Breakfast. I am a host. I get up early, knead dough, thaw blueberries, brew coffee, bake pancakes, set the table, play classical dinner music, and then invite the family. We all look forward to it. There we pray, we talk, we laugh. There our relationship grows, our love grows, our trust grows. There are times when things get rough. When this happens, all the table fellowship we have had day after day, week after week, becomes the solid rock and foundation to get through this. In the same way, God is our host. He prepares a table and invites us. As we come to God’s table – both Holy Communion and our daily meals with him – over and over again, our relationship, our trust, our love for him grows. That becomes an unshakable refuge in times of trouble. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Salvation is communion with God.
War
Then, John sees another vision of
salvation. He sees the Warrior Jesus riding on a white horse, leading the last
battle against the evil forces. Here in Revelation 19:11-16 we see salvation as
a battle. Here we see Jesus’ names
and his description. His name is Faithful
and True, the Word of God, King of kings and Lord of lords. And then John describes Jesus this way: his eyes on
fire, his head with many crowns, his mouth holding a sword, his hand holding a
scepter, his feet treading out the grapes. We should read this symbolically, not literally.
Symbolically, his blazing eyes, many crowns on his head, a sharp sword from his
mouth, a scepter in his hand, grapes under his feet portrays Jesus as the
Warrior and the King in majesty, power, authority and justice, coming to
destroy the powers of evil.
And we see the armies of heaven, the church, were following him, riding on white horses (14). What we can learn from this salvation vision is this: the safest place is on the battlefield, because it is there that Christ is active, leading and fighting the battle himself. Danger here is all in the not-fighting, avoiding or running away from it. One time Pastor David Ross, a representative of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Korea, led a youth camp for Korean-American junior high school students. As a part of the retreat practice he took the students to Harlem in New York and did some street evangelism with them. After the retreat, Pastor David received an overwhelming number of phone calls of complaint from the parents. They said, “How dare you take my precious children to that place? Do you have any idea how dangerous place Harlem is?” David calmly answered, “The most dangerous place is not Harlem but a comfortable couch in front of the T.V. and computer. There the enemy leads our children into temptation.” Salvation is a battle in which we must take sides and engage with the enemy every day. Christ calls on us to join his campaign.
Communion on the Battlefield
As a host, Jesus presides over a
meal and feeds us. As a warrior, Jesus fights a battle with us and for us. A
meal and a battle. Psalm 23 follows the same pattern. The Good Shepherd Jesus
makes us lie down in green pastures, and he leads us beside still waters – the meal. Even though we walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for Warrior Jesus is
with us – the battle. Then we read
this:
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies
The meal and the battle at the same time. A perfect peace in a perfect storm. We ask, “Is it possible to have a perfect peace in a perfect storm in our real life?” The answer is YES. Our God is able.
The incredible faith story of Horatio Spafford proves this truth. He was a devout Christian. He was a prominent Chicago lawyer, whose business was thriving. He owned several properties throughout the city. He and his beloved wife had four beautiful daughters and one son. Life was more than good — it was blessed. Then, the perfect storm came. It began with the tragic loss of their son. Not long thereafter, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed nearly every estate investment he owned. After this, Horatio decided to treat his wife and daughters to a much-needed escape from the turmoil - a boat trip to Europe. And he was planning to join them shortly after taking care of his business. Just a few days later, he received a dreadful telegram from his wife, "Saved alone." The news was that family's ship had wrecked and all four of his daughters had perished. Horatio was on his way to meet his heartbroken wife, passing over the same sea. He was broken down in sorrow, weeping and mourning and praying. It was then he experienced the perfect peace that words cannot express. Then he wrote:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Are you weary? Are you in the middle of a perfect storm? Host Jesus calls you to come to his table. So come and eat. Be nourished and live! Warrior Jesus calls you to come to join his campaign. So come and fight the good fight of faith. Never give up. Hold your positions and stand firm in the Lord. Then, surely goodness and mercy ("perfect peace") shall follow you all the days of your life and forever. Amen.
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