To Be or to Live?

Scripture: Philippians 1:23-24 – “I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.” (NRSVUE)

What is better: to be with Christ or to live for Christ? I am thinking of two answers to this question, and both are from outside the Bible.

The first is the Rapture in Dispensationalist Christianity, the idea that before the horrors of the End Times, God will whisk the good Christians away to Heaven while the rest of humanity suffers disaster after disaster before then being sentenced to eternal torment in Hell. The attitude from those who believe they will be raptured should be gratitude, but too often comes off as smugness, with apathy and even joy for the suffering of others. And there are some who even wish to exacerbate war and destruction to force Jesus to rapture the faithful and let the rest of us burn, celebrating the death of those who they think God will leave behind. They want to be with Christ, but I find this to be against the example of Jesus who suffered for the sake of others and called us to take up our crosses and follow him.

I believe that sometimes looking at other religions can remind us of a truth in our own faith that we may have overlooked. So here is another very extrabiblical teaching, it is one that I think better fits what the Bible calls us to do. This is the teaching of the bodhisattva from Mahayana Buddhism. To oversimplify, a bodhisattva is someone who has achieved enlightenment and Nirvana but chooses to remain in the world to help others reach enlightenment, even if that means being vulnerable to the troubles of life. I always envisioned this as a loving sacrifice for the sake of others, and more in line with the Jesus I know, who “though he existed in the form of God… humbled himself and became obedient to the point of… death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6, 8). Jesus could have enjoyed the wonders of heaven but chose to suffer greatly with us to save us.

However, we are not Jesus. Should we act like him or simply enjoy the salvation he offers? The apostle Paul, a faithful but very mortal man, asks the question. While he is imprisoned, he writes to the church in Philippi and indicates that while it would be wonderful to be with Jesus in the blessedness of heaven, he still has a job to do on behalf of them and other people. And this work is its own form of delight and reward. It is not an easy decision for him, but it is the one he feels that God has called him for. I think we can and should be like Paul. We may not be with Christ, but we can live for Christ.

In a world in which suffering and doubt become greater every day, we may long for escape. But the path laid out for us by Jesus and Paul, of which the bodhisattva is an echoing reminder, is to work for the sake of others, even if it is difficult and costly. As we move into Holy Week in the days to come, remember the love that Jesus has shown and the love that needs to be shown by us all to the least of God’s children.

Prayer: Jesus, make me a vessel of your peace, even in times of trouble. Help me follow your example for the sake of others and find your salvation within my heart. Amen.

Image credit: abundant-life.com