Lately, I've been thinking some of Hell. More specifically the people that potentially will fill Hell... to such a degree that it makes itself bigger (meaning more people fall from the edges of this life into its abyss daily).
Francis Chan has a book due out in July called, "Erasing Hell". I've been watching promo videos about this book, reading interviews he's given on why he felt compelled by God to write such a book, etc. It's probably the most anticipated book release I've ever waited for (because I can't think of another!)... but I'm a huge Francis Chan fan. So all the curiosity has got me thinking. As a side note to my curiosity, he's written this book, according to a Relevant Magazine interview, because of all the discussion orbiting Rob Bell's latest release, "Love Wins". It's not the sole reason for his writing but one of the motivating factors.
...So I was driving with my family yesterday through a rough area of the Birmingham metro area and a guy was crossing the street adjacent to us. He was dressed very roughly. He hadn't shaved in a while and looked pretty strung out from drugs or alcohol. This guy wasn't a young kid or teen but was an older gentleman (not ancient for my wiser friends reading this blog) probably pushing fifty or more. That isn't necessarily old, but for the lifestyle this guy is probably living his body is probably 20+ years older inside from the abuses he no doubt has induced on himself. As we passed him, I looked at his face and immediately the question came, "Is he going to one day be in Hell... forever?" The thought sort of jarred me... thinking that this fellow could possibly, if not inevitably, find himself in eternal torment for the life he has chosen.
My next thought was to pull the car over and see if I could talk some sense in to this guy... to see if maybe I could tell him the truth and where his life was leading him. I felt an urgency to almost shout it from the roof tops sort to speak that his life was in mortal trouble and his soul was hanging in the balance of eternity. But I was in a hurry. We were on the way to pick up my son, Caleb, and then we had to run meet a friend at the gym to attempt to make our bodies buff and we were really pressed for time.
The thought occurred to me this morning... who loves this world more? Me or that guy?
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