When the song I Can Only Imagine was first released, I was a teenager and I remember the profound effect it had on my church. The lyrics touched on the hope we all have for when we leave this world behind and to this day I get misty-eyed when I'm really listening to it.
So when the movie came out that revolved around the making of this song, I was excited to see it. To be honest, I haven't had the chance yet, but it is on my list for the summer.
That said, I read a review of the movie and was disturbed by something the author revealed. This reviewer was not kind when it came to the substance of the film, which is to be expected these days. It seems the more acerbic and snarky one can be, the more popular the review/critique becomes, which is sad in its own right but I digress.
The statement that caught me was that a particular character's sudden conversion to Christianity after being diagnosed with terminal illness "didn't really count." Because "foxhole conversions" didn't hold the same weight as a Christian who held true for years.
To which I have to say; we are all foxhole conversions.
Every single one of us is under the death sentence. There's no getting around it. The one certainty in every life is that it must eventually come to an end.
Some of us get to the conversion process earlier than others.
Is there something to be said about Christians who have maintained their faith for years? Of course there is. We can see the work God has been doing in them, we can sense the gentle spirit and loving acceptance of the God they serve.
They are what calls the world to remember that we are all in a foxhole and death is looming. They are the light calling people to hope and the salt healing the broken. The relationship they have with the Savior is unmistakable, but no more or less valuable than the ones formed months or weeks before death.
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