Mining some truths…
August 5th 2010. For a bunch of thirty three men it was going to be a routine “day in the office”. Only that their office was good 2000 feet below the Earth’s surface, their “office cubicle”… nothing but layers and layers of mud mixed with copper and gold on all sides, their “office equipment”… drilling machines, spades et al and their business… “mining yellow metals”. Worse…their “office premises” caved in for no fault of theirs. For the next 69 days, these men did not see “light of the day”, both literally and figuratively and only on 13th October, 2010 after virtually shaking hands with death, they emerged out of the “black hole” to the spontaneous cheers of the local Chilean crowd and the global TV audience. Yes, you guessed it right, I am speaking about the saga of the Chilean miners, whose visage as they stepped out one by one from their life-saving missile shaped “capsule” said it all! Steely determination, gratitude, relief, joy and what not!
Are there any spiritual lessons to be “mined” from the spine-chilling experience of Chile miners? Yes, it brings to the fore some chilling reminders besides some comforting, re-invigorating and challenging truths….
Dominion…
For no fault of theirs, there they were-the Chilean miners- trapped helplessly in the dominion of darkness, with seemingly “no light at the end of the tunnel”, till the rescue act began from “above”. Oh yes, none of us are responsible for eating the “forbidden fruit” which tragically resulted in the “Earth caving in around mankind”. Our grand-parents are responsible for that ONE BIG FATAL SLIP (Romans 5:12)! Cheer up! For us too trapped down here on earth, rescue act began from “above”, with the Savior Himself finally descending down into the miry, dark pit of sin to save us all trapped in it from eternal death (Col 1:13-14).
Co-ordination…
The entire rescue act stood out for team work, with several people pooling in their minds and resources even as they bailed out the trapped miners. “Team Trinity” also worked in perfect unison to bring about our release from the dominion of darkness. Consider this Scripture verse…”who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood”(I Peter 1:2). So much so about our salvation, it is said “God thought it, Christ bought it, Holy Spirit wrought it though devil fought it, Praise God I got it”!
Redemption…one at a time…The only way…
Mind you, Chile miners safe in their rescue capsules emerged “ONE AT A TIME” from their “grave that held them in its grip for 69 days”. Hey, Salvation from our “grave of sin” is also given on “ONE ON ONE BASIS”. None can get a passport to heaven on the basis of noble deeds of his pious parents or grandparents. Piggy riding on the back of someone else, wouldn’t do, wouldn’t do at all, when it comes to salvation! EVERY ONE HAS TO SEEK HIS SALVATION PERSONALLY (John 3:3)! And just as the missile-shaped capsule painted in the colors of the Chilean National flag was THE ONLY “life-saving device” for the miners , CROSS “PAINTED” WITH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION FOR US (John 14:6/Galatians 5:11)!
Quite striking, this similarity…right? Now the Chilean miners didn’t have any reservations nor did they argue about the life-saving “capsule” being lowered into the pit for their deliverance. Simply put, there were no choices offered to them. THERE WAS ONLY ONE CHOICE! THEY JUMPED AT IT! FRIEND, HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR “LEAP OF FAITH” (Romans 10:8-10), LANDING INTO THE SAFE ARMS OF THE SAVIOR, AS IT WERE (John 1:12-13)! LET ME AFFIRM, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY OUT (Romans 1:16)!
Celebration…
Oh yes, Chile rejoiced, so did the World at large on the safe passage of the 33 miners from “Death to life”. Praise God, at the “safe passage” of even one sinner from “eternal death to eternal life”, all of heaven rejoices (Luke 15:7)! Staggering truth…this! If the Chilean President Mr. Sebastian Pinera was right there to welcome the miners and usher them into a “new life”, so was the Father (symbolizing God) of the prodigal, when he emerged out of his “cocoon of sin” (Luke 15:20)! Should we not welcome, every individual who steps into the portals of a Church seeking the Savior, WHATEVER BE HIS/HER SINFUL BACKGROUND? YES! Now do I hear that one person has just come into the family-fold of Christ? JOIN ME, IT’S PARTY TIME (Luke 15:22-24)!
Evangelization…
Stripped of all fanciful trappings, Evangelization simply put is “sharing the GOOD NEWS that Christ is ready to save everyone from their sins”. Now who is a sinner? A murderer, an adulterer, a robber? NAY. Everybody is a Sinner declares the truthful Bible (Romans 3:23). Yes, even those with a reputation to protect in the society! I would say that everyone who is wearing clothes hiding his/her shame is at least admitting to the Biblical fact that there is a shame which needs to be covered. Even a hard-core atheist or agnostic even in this hi-tech “enlightened era” wouldn’t walk naked in the middle of the road in defiance of what is written in the Bible about the pristine, pure creation (when no clothes were required-Genesis 2:25) and the original sin, which led to man “covering himself with what (fig leaves) he thought would provide adequate protection” (Genesis 3:6-7).
Sadly, History is repeating itself even today. Do not countless people cover the sin in their lives with inadequate, paltry “fig leaves”? Good deeds like helping the poor and needy, fasting et al without ever accepting the reign ship of Christ over their lives, constitute the modern-day fig leaves. Without letting go of the acquisitive streak in them, hey, even the Mumbai dons (smugglers) abound in charity (Dons donning “fig leaves” for you please)! God in His compassion taught Adam and Eve how to make clothes and prepared a set for them at the cost of life of an innocent animal, which is symbolic of the dying Christ on the cross. Fig leaves symbolic of man-made religion (revolving around good deeds) would never cover our nakedness (read sin). Rather they without CHRIST IN OUR LIVES are like filthy rags in God’s sight (Isaiah 64:6)! Yes, good deeds have a place in God’s scheme of things but they are NOT THE CAUSE OF SALVATION BUT ONLY EFFECT OF IT (Eph 2:10).We are saved FOR good deeds and NOT BY THEM! EVERYBODY IS A SINNER IN NEED OF SAVIOUR! PERIOD!
Taking Christ’s last commission seriously (Matt 28:18-20), His disciples’ braving all odds (many died as martyrs) went to the “ends of the World” with this Gospel truth, which can so easily be accepted and EXPERIENCED BY EVERY PERSON (Romans 10:8-10). By the way, do you know Chile is “one of the ends of the World”? Now were Christ’s disciples’ successful? Want proof? Take it… Christians are in majority in Chile now! As the first generation Christians would have been in Chile, hopefully majority of them are born-again, even today! Is not Sebastian Pinera-the name of the Chilean President- a Christian name? Forget for a moment going to “ends of the World”, have you reached out to your neighborhood with the Gospel? How about heralding the Christmas season this year in your neighborhood with sweets, gifts and Gospel tracts*(this activity undertaken in Christmas season sincerely with selfless Christ-like love would not lead any person to accuse you of “converting people”)! By doing that let assure you, you would be sending some chill down the devil’s spine! HALLELUJAH!
Prayer: Father, more I understand about your grand plan of salvation for mankind through Jesus Christ , more I am challenged about my responsibility in sharing it with all I come in contact with. Keep me on fire always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Suresh Manoharan)
www.jandsmministries.com
*We in our Church have done that during India’s Independence day (15th August) and Christmas season.
