Vapor and smoke

A growing sense at the bottom of my being tells me that life is both a vapor -- in that all of our moments just come and go leaving fading memories of them -- but also, at the same time, it is substance -- in that what goes on in those moments truly have eternal consequence. Vapor and substance. That is human life. We must balance between these two extremes.

The psalmist says: “My days vanish like smoke, my bones burn like blowing embers.” That is the vapor part of it.

But then, Peter says: “Add to your faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly love, and love.” This is the substance.

In God’s design, we are a vapor that has been given faith. Now, how can smoke and embers have faith? I do not know, but an impossibility like this has all the markings of God’s ways.

I am reading testimonials of folks who survived four yours in the Nazi death camps. Hans Jacobson, his entire family murdered by the Nazis, made it to Sweden, where more of his companions died because they were too abused to make it even with medical care. “I was still alive and was saved, but … we were not sure if we wanted to live…” Years later, at 72 years of age, he recounted his harrowing experiences. He has probably passed now; I do not know. I just know that as I read it, the vapor-ness of life filled my inner senses…

What to do in an existence of vapor and embers?

Well, the vapor has been given the substance of faith. In our present condition, it must feel like a vapory faith. But add to that vapory faith goodness … that is the first step. Just get through the day being good; good to others; good to the tasks the day brings; just be good. That is the first step of combating the vapor with the substance of faith. And then, as I can, go on to the next step … add knowledge, self-control, and so on.

And Peter says that, somehow, adding these things of substance will show that this life of vapory faith will not be unproductive in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.

Logos2Go

Psalm 102.3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.

Peter 1.5-8 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Martin Gilbert, The Day the War Ended. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996, 161.