There was a recent “scare” about the rapture coming. I would assume that for most Christians, this was more amusing than scary. After all, the Word says: ““But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36 NKJV). For some, this was the first they were hearing of the concept of a rapture, which is the second coming of Christ that we believe will take saved and sanctified souls: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV). Others do not believe in a rapture at all, or understand it differently. But while the sensation was ongoing, the question that came to me was “are you ready?”
I have been a Christian my whole life, whether simply in name or by identity. Something I have noticed about myself is that because there is no obvious sign of my faith, I have to make a conscious effort to be a Christian. For me, that looks like loving God and loving neighbours as I would myself (Matthew 22:37-39) in word, in deed, and in action (John 14:15). As the years have gone by, with the more time I have spent steeped in Christianity, it has gotten easier. But to be completely honest, I do forget, or slip into unconscious habits. It means that sometimes, there are moments that I know that if Jesus were to come, I would not go. The rapture news was a reminder to me of what I am really here for, and how I am truly supposed to live. It brought me back to the goal, which is to see the Lord.
It didn’t stop there. It also showed me how many souls there are to save. We came on our own, and we will go to Heaven on our own, but we are witnesses of Christ. I may be the only image of Jesus someone may ever encounter. The way I feel responsible to represent my blackness, my African-ness, and my femininity is magnified when it comes to the kingdom of God. It is the difference between heaven and hell. It can also be the difference between life and death. How have I represented my faith and its virtue? It is my utmost desire that everyone know that God is real, and that Jesus is the only way to Him. That is my utmost desire because it is His. And I pray for grace to be the best representative of the good God I have the privilege to serve.
I pray for you too, that you are convicted to be saved enough to save. The Lord is coming soon. May He come for you, too.
