Hearing of some Christian acquaintances’ divorce today at church rattled me, especially after extended exposure to my unbelieving friends at last night’s family sleepover with them. I cried today in the sunroom to Carla that their divorce makes me ask, “What difference does Jesus make?” I mean, if the Gospel is not much more than “Jesus is God’s son, therefore God is like Jesus, whom He made king of the universe. And He promises some set of humanity the gift of eternal life,” then it’s still pretty good news, but my internal gospel has always included “glory to glory” and the effect eternal life has on us now. If there is no such thing and, say, the divorce rate among believing Christians is the same as it is among unbelievers, then I grieve the loss of what I thought was a piece of the Good News.
Now, Nas rapped “life’s a bitch and then you die.” And while I disagree with coda of his rhyme (“that’s why we get high”), it comforts me in the face of the above in the same way Ecclesiastes comforts me: “time and chance overtake them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11b). The Bible basically admits that at some level, there will be no difference. Shit will happen to Christians and non-Christians alike. God intervenes in miraculous ways sparingly. An earthly life that is better than before, less seemingly random, and less prone to error is not a guarantee of becoming a Christian.
This also helps me appreciate the good fortune I currently enjoy, knowing that it is just that: good fortune. Many others do not share in my good fortune, and it is an in-built assignment to all who call on the name of Christ to relieve that suffering and do what we can to human flourishing.