Jack Pelham

The not knowing is so untenable for his untrained mind
That he has learned to unleash his brain
And send it scurrying off into the weeds
To retrieve whatever it may for a narrative
By which to explain the situation.

There is the concept, however rare, that one might like to invest his efforts in the common good, without concern for how he might grow rich from it—whether in money, or in the acclaim of those he esteems.

He looks with disdain on the Churchers,
Recoiling at the sick hypocrisy he sees.
And he wants nothing to do with it—

With the Churching, that is.

Let’s pretend that it’s all
Somebody else’s fault,
And not our own.

And we can point our fingers at them
And feel happier than we would
If we were dealing with ourselves.

And they’ll get mad, of course—
Because they are like us—
And then we’ll get mad—
Because we are like us, too.

And life will be better that way
Than if we were to be honest and
Rational and responsible for ourselves.

There will not come a day
When diet and exercise
Are not important—
Though there will come
A thousand upon which
They do not feel important.

And one wonders how such a gauge
Could be so often off.

When you really think about it,
The greater part of the constant turmoil
In this human species can be
Readily explained by asking
The same developmental question
About every human specimen:

I got invited to a huge anniversary party
And most everybody came
And seemed to have a good time—
But me, that is—

That’s because the marriage they were
Celebrating is in terrible shape,
And I’m not the sort to pretend it isn’t.

So even though they drive that party
Right by my window on this day every year,
I do not enjoy it in the least.

And they don’t enjoy hearing me say why.

One of the biggest political lies—
Rarely spoken aloud, yet believed
With the force of shouting—
Is that America has a one-party problem.

It is difficult not to assume
That if only he could
Present his case better,
They would listen.

But after some time,
The notion falls flat,
And he’s left with the realization
That they would also be silent
If God himself were making the case.

The first, surprised to meet
Trouble on the road to eternity,
Determines that he must be traveling
On the wrong road.

The second, that he must be traveling
In the wrong direction.

The third, that he must be traveling
At the wrong time,
Or perhaps with the wrong people,
Or in the wrong circumstances.

But the fourth, surprised to meet
Trouble on the road to eternity,
Determines that he must be
Traveling with the wrong expectation.

It is surprising that so many are so surprised to find so much difficulty in life, and that talking about the Bible as much as they do, they do not figure out that the intent of the journey is the transformation of the traveler along the way.

I suppose that much of this unrealistic expectation comes from the ongoing rhetoric aimed at keeping non-journeyers in the pews by promising them that they are entitled to a mostly-trouble-free life, and that the difficulties they face are mostly anomalies that should fade away soon.

Here are seven passages that should make the expectation of trouble clear—and I’ll bet I could find 70!

…In this world you will have trouble….

John 16:33b. NIV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings,…

1 peter 4:12-13a. ESV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4. NIV

…through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Acts 14:22b. ESV

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor…

1 Peter 1:6-7a. ESV

…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame…

Romans 5:3b-5a. ESV

…the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24:13. ESV