Are we going through hell on earth?

3/23    Terence

A very common answer to my outreach question of whether heaven and hell exists is that we are going through “hell on earth”. This answer often comes from people who are bitter and believe themselves to be mistreated and oppressed, but it also came from a very positive and contemplative young man named Terence.

I met Terence during a walk at the park, where he had gone to get away from it all and do some self-reflection. Despite his “hell on earth” statement he was very positive – so positive, in fact, that he couldn’t think of one negative experience in life that he would trade for one more positive. He felt like it’s the negative experiences in life that have helped teach him valuable lessons and make him the person he is today, so in that sense, he views “hell on earth” to be a valuable, character-forming process.

Most people I talk to who make the “hell on earth” comment are quick to agree that, while there are many bad things that surround us, we also experience many good things. Their “hell” comparison is often just a flippant description of the struggles of this life to be tolerated, and for Terence I believe he was referring to life as a sort of halfway existence where we experience both good and bad, a sort of testing ground where we have many valuable lessons to learn.

And, despite Terence’s lack of any sort of biblical foundation, that is the biblical view. We are in the midst of good and evil experiences, and God can use them all for His glory. In James 1 we read “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

If we were to go back in time and erase some of the hardships we’ve faced, we could be less mature and complete than we would be without them, and a self-reflective person like Terence was intuitively able to recognize their value without feeling the need to complain.

But can the rest of Terence’s generation recognize this? A quote I’ve heard often lately describes the cyclical nature of generations, and why some are more tough than others: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

I think a quick look at history, in the Bible and elsewhere, reveals the truth of this statement. So where is Western Civilization now in this generational cycle? I’m pretty sure we are in the midst of some good times creating some pretty weak men and women, and I fear for what comes next.

What comes next could indeed be that “hell on earth” so many weak people have prematurely complained about. In the meantime, however, I believe our character formation doesn’t have to be subject to generational tides. Jesus calls us to the tough, character-forming challenges of being His disciples no matter what generation we are born into. In John 15, He said “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

And Peter, who experienced that persecution as Jesus’ disciple, advised “do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4)

For the sake of Christ and His Kingdom, we may indeed experience a sort of “hell on earth”, but we are promised such a heavenly future that “…our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Cor. 4)

Thanks, Terence, for allowing me to record our conversation! It can be seen at https://youtu.be/uvbZvzW6fa0 on my YouTube channel.