The Long Silence
At the end of time ,billions of people were scattered before God's throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them, but some at the front came forward to argue.
"How can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?" snapped a young woman who ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tatto from a Nazi concentration camp.
"We endured terror, beatings, torture, death!"
A Black youth lowered his collar."What about this?" he demanded."Lynched for no crime but being black!"
Stretching across the plain were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against god for the evil and suffering he had permitted. How lucky God was to live a sheltered life in heaven. What did he know of the suffering humanity had been forced to endure?
Each group sent forth its leader: a Jew; a Black ; someone from Hiroshima ;a horribly deformed arthritic. Their case was as simple as it was clever. Before God could judge them, he must endure what they had suffered.
God should be sentenced to live on earth - as a man.
"Let him be born a Jew",said one."Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted," cut in another."Give him work so difficult that even his family think him insane to attempt it.Let him be betrayed by his closest friends;let him face false charges,be tried by a prejuduced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured - to death. And at the last minute, let him see what it is to be terribly alone.
As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs went up from the assembled throng.
And when the clamour had died away, there was a long silence. Standing beside God's throne was a figure, his arms outstretched; red raw holes in his hands and feet. Eyes that blazed with compassion. No one uttered another word. No one moved. For suddenly each of them knew that God had already served his sentence- Jesus Christ !God's complete and total answer.
Published with permission by
DK Ministries –Preaching the Living Word to a dying world.
