[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during June 2022]
I recall the first time that I heard this question. It was in 1960 and has to do with a school dinner. Like so many such meals it would have been completely forgotten if it hadn’t been for the dessert, which purported to be chocolate pudding. It had the consistency of potter’s clay, the colour of mud and it was certain that no chocolate beans had been involved in its preparation. I decided that it was not to my taste and that I was not going to eat it.
In the disciplinary regime of the time the judgment was handed down: “You will sit there until you eat it”, and so began my first hunger strike (infant tantrums excluded). Some while later a teacher asked me “Why are you still here?” To cut a long story short, the pudding returned to the kitchen and I returned to class with a certain sense of victory.
In a more serious context, many people have asked themselves “Why am I still here?” Asking this question of ourselves can be a symptom of disappointment or depression, but finding a positive answer can encourage us to move on. A good place to start is to recognise that we are not here for our benefit but for the benefit of those around us. How do we contribute to the well-being of our community? Are there those in our families, work-places or in our social activities whose lives are enriched by our presence?
Of course there is a spiritual implication to this question. If it had been God’s will we could have gone to heaven immediately after accepting his plan of salvation. Atonement has been paid in full, our names are on the invitation list and no further formalities would impede our departure. So, why are we still here?
With so many heaven-ready Christians alive on earth there must be some reason for us to still be here. Jesus described his followers as the light of the world, a light that not only is seen but provides illumination to its surroundings[1]. If we were not here, what darkness would prevail? Who would proclaim the message of salvation? Who would do the work of ploughing, seeding and bringing-in God’s harvest; who would support those who do? The church has been described as an organisation that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members but how could it function without its members?
Having established that there is a need for us to be here, there is a supplementary question: “What are you doing here?” How are you using your time and talents? Irrespective of our circumstances there are things that we can do, in public or in secret; God will see them and reward us accordingly[2].
How are you passing the time whilst you wait for your home-call?
[1] Matthew 5 v14-16
[2] Matthew 6 v1-4
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
Many thanks again, Steve. Thought provoking.