It's Saturday and I was sitting in a Starbucks waiting for my car to be washed and I was engaged in two of my favorite activities: watching people and skimming the web. Skimming the web I saw a entry on a friends blog that spoke of the trauma that life often brings. Watching people around this busy hostel that observation was confirmed. I overheard a gentleman on his cellphone discussing with his (apparently) soon to be ex-wife the disposition of the house and other items. Another patron was loudly speaking of his recent achievement in the real estate market to the clerk at the counter (the clerks who are making about $9 an hour!). Others were happily chatting away about things of little consequence one way or another. One lady, however caught my attention. She was in obvious physical pain and was also doing her best to pretend everything else was also fine, when quite clearly it wasn't. She made her order and then sat across from where I had reclined with my laptop.
I smiled at her and apparently something in my expression betrayed what I discerned to be true. She looked at me, smiled and said, "You understand don't you?" Caught a little by surprise I nonetheless replied that I did and also said, "the physical is never as bad as the other, but it does wear one down." This complete stranger replied, "That's true, they both wear you down. The Lord is good, but time isn't." I told her I agreed. They called for her coffee order and I said that I would pray for her. She smiled, and said she would do the same, thanked me for understanding, and she left.
It was a strange encounter and although I'm not the mystical sort I was left wondering who the brief conversation had helped the most, her or I. It also reminded me of something I wrote a couple of years ago, which follows:
It is said that time heals all wounds. No matter how much we might wish that to be true, alas it is not. Some wounds are too deep, the pain too entrenched, the sorrow too embedded within the soul to be alleviated by the mere passing of another circuit of the Earth around the Sun, or even the Sun in its circuit around the galaxy.
These are not wounds of a singular sort, but the accumulation of multiple years of daggers to the flesh and, far worse, the soul. On the side of courage these wounds are not all of accident, but those that are taken willingly for the greater good. Those wounds are almost tolerable, and even in the pain there is a sweetness that can be discerned. But still one can only absorb so many, especially when they are unnoticed or unrewarded, before that slight sweetness can begin to sour.
The most heinous are those wounds inflicted by those who should be knit to our own soul. Wounds most foul from this quarter are of particular intent, when kindredness of soul has been rent and the gaping void is filled with venom. But again, more often than not, wounds to the soul are those of neglect not of revenge or vindictiveness.
Neglect is the most hurtful wound of all; it festers and gnaws at the soul. Instead of healing time only causes it to grow deeper like a sinkhole consuming the ground. Neglect of deed, neglect of a word, neglect of kindness, and most of all, neglect of touch; these are the wounds that lead to that most horrific darkness of the soul, loneliness.
No, time will not heal all wounds; only the end of time can do that. For some death begins the healing and the end of all time brings the finality of the healing. Wounds are healed with no scar lingering; loneliness ends as though it never was; all courage is recognized and all sacrifice rewarded. All is as it should be.
But not for all, for some the end of time brings finality of the judgment that death was the mere foreshadowing. In the judgment wounds will never heal, only grow worse. Neglect will not end, only grow more painful. Loneliness will never cease, it will only become more solitary. Courage and sacrifice will not be rewarded; but rather witness against the condemned because they were done apart from faith.
All will be as it should be only for those who have faith. "For without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Hebrew 11:6).
Even for those in the household of faith focusing on this truth is still, oft-times hard, especially for those who wait for the end of time with many a wound and loneliness beyond description. Time is no friend of ours, no help for our soul. It is not the enemy, as it is to those who have no hope; but it is also no friend.
The Tomb of Jesus Special on the Discovery Channel did remarkably well in the rating, drawing one of the largest audiences ever for the channel. Despite this success the channel is quietly "burying" the entire project.
When it became apparent that this "discovery" was based on wishful thinking and a very dubious "statistical analysis" rather than actual science and archaeology a discussion panel was put together that aired immediately after the program. Hosted by Ted Koppel (whom it was made clear had no connection whatsoever to the James Cameron program) the panel, which included Darrell Bock of Dallas Theological Seminary, pretty much trashed the entire thesis of the show.
The Discovery Channel subsequently has downsized re-airing of the program. It will be interesting if the and when the DVD is released if they will include the panel discussion program as well.