If I asked you, “What do you think is the saddest thing there is?” What would your answer be? Your answer would be very revealing about the priorities you have in life.
I will give you mine. It is not wanting to be in any way part of dispatching a soul out of this life and into perdition. For me, the second saddest thing in the universe is any soul going to hell. But, the saddest thing for me would be having to be part of sending anyone there, either accidentally or purposefully.
I have an active imagination. That is one reason I am a writer. I am constantly envisaging scenarios, events, possibilities, both from the 5,000-foot view and down in the dirt, up close possibilities. I believe that is one of God’s primary gifts to me, the ability to see things from both perspectives and switch back and forth as necessary. Each view gives different insights, which can be very important.
I can imagine, taking the long view, Michael the Archangel looking at his former brother angel Lucifer, say, when they were contending over the body of Moses (Jude 9), and to hear him say, “Why, brother? Why?” with a broken heart. There are two scenes in the movie “Ghost” where both Willie and Carl die and are dragged into hell by the black entities. Despite the poor theology of the movie, since biblically, Sam is just as guilty, the scenes of the other two getting their just judgment, especially the first one of Willie, scared many people. The one thing I can relate to in the movie is Sam’s sadness at what he sees happen, especially to his former friend, Carl. Any soul being consumed by darkness is, at least for me, sad beyond measure, no matter when or to whom it happens. It is why I can imagine Michael’s sadness when confronting Lucifer.
This why I hope I never have to take a life, either accidentally, say in a car accident, or worse, in self-defense of myself or others, because, if that act, due to its finality, takes away any chance that person will ever have for repentance, it would be a heavy and unspeakably sad burden to bear. It would not prevent me from defending a life, but that would not mitigate my sadness over what would then transpire. I am part of the security team at my church, a position that may force me to make that decision sometime in the future. It is something I pray I never have to deal with.
Instead, I want to do my part in saving souls, for there is great rejoicing in heaven over that (Luke 14:7). We can all rejoice when that happens. That is my goal, my purpose in the life I have remaining. I pray God saves me from the other.
