“What kind of God would send a kind Buddhist to hell, but save a wicked man who became a Christian right before he died?” He didn’t ask the question to stir up trouble or to start a debate or to sound intellectual. He carefully chose to say Buddhist because his country and he himself are (at least nominally) Muslim. He was obviously sincere and confused and truly grappling with who God is and how justice and mercy fit together.
This question came right before he told us that a boat of 120 refugees heading to Europe had broken down not far from their beach home and hand-paddled into shore. That’s 120 people who needed food and water and medical care! One lady, who had recently given birth, was unable to walk and had to be carried up to the house. Generously, this man and his wife cared for each one. As the refugees left in pairs every fifteen minutes to disappear and try again another day, the woman was abandoned a ways down the beach. One of this man’s employees found her two days later, near death. They transported her back to their home, spoon-fed her water, gently washed her, found clothes for her and got her to the hospital.
I could see the question in their eyes. Surely God sees our good deeds. Surely if we are kind and loving, it is enough. Pray for this man, and the millions of people like him, to recognize the shocking evilness of our sin in God’s sight. Pray that he and his family will not refuse the grace of Jesus! May they see that only at the cross is the wrath of God removed, and His justice and mercy perfectly revealed together! Pray that they will see that when we shout to God that we can be righteous on our own, there is no truth in us and we are demeaning the blood of Jesus and declaring that His sacrifice was for nothing. May he and those like him recognize the necessity and beauty of the grace of the gospel of the cross.
