Sometimes (okay, most of the time), Word Wednesday is personal for me.  But there are other times when it’s about all of us, about the greater world around us.  About today, and what we are facing in our world.  This weeks’ verse stood 0ut in that way, in a way that makes me sad and makes me feel more urgent than ever.

Genesis 19:14 (GW)–So Lot went out and spoke to the men engaged to his daughters.  He said, “hurry!  Get out of this place, because the Lord is going to destroy the city.”  But they thought he was joking.

Sadly, we sit firmly in the place of Sodom and Gomorrah.  It’s scary when you look at the Bible and realize where we are (II Timothy 3, anyone?).  But since no one knows the day and the time, I’m not going to speculate there.

The part of this verse that really grips my heart is that last sentence:  “But they thought he was joking.”  It makes me want to curl up into a ball and cry.  How many people don’t see what is going on?  Lot tried to warn his future sons-in-law, his own family, and they didn’t listen.  How many of us have tried to speak to family members only to have them continue to turn away?

But they thought he was joking.  Oh, one day, it won’t be funny.  It will be the most unfunny thing ever.  It really does hurt my heart to think that on the day of my greatest joy, on the day that I get to finally look at Jesus right in the eye, someone will be enduring their greatest torment.

The bigger question here is, what am I supposed to do?  What role do I play?  What role do you play?

I wish I had more hope to end with, but for some people, they refuse to accept hope.  And that’s sad no matter how you try to twist it.  I’m praying.  Praying that those who think it’s a joke will see the truth before it’s too late.  Thank God that He is always, always merciful and that it’s not too late until the end.  Hey… there’s the hope!

-JB