Philippians 1:21

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Probably one of the most famous verses of the New Testament. It is a hard one to make peace with. I totally understand the part - to live is Christ - Knowing Christ is what life is all about. Knowing Christ renews your life and makes it better. Easy. But this whole second part - to die is gain - that's hard to swallow.

Now for anyone who might say they agree with Paul, let me be clear what I think he's saying: I think he's saying that death, by any means, simply brings him into the presence of God which, he finds, has no downside to it. He goes on to say in the chapter that he's torn about whether to continue living. In fact, we know that he had come so close to death many times in his ministry. Death he could have avoided pretty easily. He didn't even have to shut up about Christ. All he had to do was preach elsewhere.

How many Christians that you know willingly seek out the violence that comes with preaching in places where it is forbidden? Would you? Would I? I'd much rather write a check that supports the person who does have this courage. That shows how far I have to go to get to where Paul was.

Philippians 1:6

"He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ"

A little cryptic, this. After all, what, precisely, is the good work that was begun? I think the only thing that fits is the entire transformation brought about by belief, by salvation. That is the work that God works in the believer. It touches every aspect of life and cannot be reduced. It cannot be contained. A believer cannot say this part of my life has been affected, this part has not.

It (the work of transformation) is also ongoing. It is a work for everyday like brushing one's teeth. Not something that happens all at once. Journey, not destination.

My recent hiatus

Sorry to have been away for such a long time. Another bnlog and several stories that needed my attention collaborated with the end of the regular semester and the start of the Summer semester to keep me unproductive here. Essentially, something had to give.