In his book, Contentment: The Secret to a Lasting Calm, Dr. Richard Swenson describes life as a tunnel that proceeds in one direction — the same direction as time. As birthdays come and go, I am more and more convinced that I will not get to the end of the tunnel before my time in the tunnel is concluded. I’m convinced there is brighter light at the end of that tunnel, but I can’t make it out. It’s not for me to do so. It is veiled. God will determine the end of history and unveil the exit to that tunnel of life and time.
But this tunnel is already surrounded by God’s wider reality. That reality is sometimes referred to as “eternity” or “heaven.” At the end of the tunnel, and this is scriptural, I’m convinced we walk straight into God’s wider reality. When He decides to remove the veil of that exit, if I am with you then, what a glorious day that will be! But for today, I’m equally convinced that every step we take in the tunnel, is also a step we take in God’s wider reality. You can’t take a step in this world today, without it going unnoticed in heaven or eternity.
The way Swenson describes it, as I walk down this tunnel we call life, I can see that the walls are made of something that forms a dark glassy surface. Perhaps these walls are Jasper or Carnelian, two ancient gemstones mentioned throughout the Bible, but especially so in the Revelation as foundation stones for the New Jerusalem. Some commentaries tell us that these stones may refer to the Creator Himself and His Son Jesus Christ. We are told that “God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” I am becoming a fan of the deep red, orange, and amber hues of jasper and carnelian.
Every now and then, there’s a bright flash of light that emits from over these walls to the extent I can see it light up the entire tunnel. These are the miraculous times in our lives when God has unmistakably held us closely, preventing something from happening to us. Or perhaps, they are the times when we couldn’t explain why someone had emerged unscathed through a terrible car crash. I have personally seen this light not fewer than four times as my bride presented me with four beautiful children. They were and are each and every one, a miracle. God’s reality is unmistakable, and to some degree, unexplainable. I mean, how do you describe the image of seeing a light through a glass darkly? You just know He’s there, don’t you?
As for me, I believe I’ll be around for a couple of decades more. But in recent years, I have seen my parent’s pass through the walls of that tunnel into God’s wider reality. I must tell you that as they approached those moments, they just couldn’t wait to get to the other side. Dad was dreaming of joining his beloved bride, my mother, who had passed three years earlier. And it was almost as if you could see the walls thinning a bit as he dreamed. Perhaps this is the stuff of near-death experiences. Though the sadness we expressed was for us, I’m assured that he was showing the glorious way for me to follow. And now, I am for you.
On this birthday, I am well and alive and have decades left to engage with you. But if not, then that’s OK, too. I am firmly in God’s hands. And, the really neat thing about that, is that you can be in His hands, too.
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. . .” 1 Corinthians 13:12