03/04/2026
If We have Died With Him, We Shall Live With Him.
At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God's throne.
Most shrank back from the brilliant light, but some groups near the front talked heatedly – not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.
'Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?', snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a N**i concentration camp. 'We endured terror....beatings....torture....death!'
In another group, a Negro boy lowered his collar. 'What about this?' he demanded showing an ugly rope burn. 'Lynched for no crime but for being black!'
In another crowd was a one-parent schoolgirl with sullen eyes. 'Why should I suffer?' she murmured, 'it wasn't my fault'.
Far out across the plain were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he permitted in his world. How lucky God is to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light; where there was no weeping or fear, no hatred or hunger. What did God know of all that men had been forced to suffer in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they say.
So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he or she had suffered the most.
A Jew, a Negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the plain they consulted together. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.
Before God could be qualified to judge, he must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth as a man.
Let him be born a Jew, the legitimacy of his birth be doubted.
Give him a task so difficult that even his own family would think him out of his mind when he tries to do it.
Let him be betrayed by his closest friends.
Let him face false charges, be tried by a cowardly judge.
Let him be tortured.
At last let him see what it is to be utterly and terribly alone.
Let him die.
Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died.
Let there be a crowd of witnesses to verify it.
As each leader announced his portion of the sentence loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled.
When the last had finished passing sentence there was a long silence. Nobody uttered another word. Nobody moved.
For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence!
Send a message to learn more
