By Mark S. Krause
In Dante Alighieri”s Divine Comedy, he pictures the gateway leading into the Inferno (Hell) as being inscribed with these words:
Through me the way to the city of woe,
Through me the way to everlasting pain,
Through me the way among the lost . . .
Abandon all hope, you who enter here.1
When the church gathers, some come who have had their hopes crushed in the last week. A job may have been lost. Perhaps a home or a relationship has been lost. Various ones might have lost a battle for good health, a loved one, or basic self-respect. Most tragically, there may be some who have lost faith. The pervasive pessimism of our world may have finally won the day, and there may seem to be no more reason for hope.
The entryway to California”s Disneyland has this inscription:
Here you leave today
And enter the world
Of yesterday, tomorrow,
And fantasy.
Unlike Dante”s gateway, this is an opening that many who have gathered on Sunday wish they could enter. They want a place of fantasy, a harbor from life”s pain no matter how unreal it may be. They want to leave today and be in a better, more comforting place.
As we enter the church and gather around the Lord”s table, we find hope, but it is not fantasy. The author of Hebrews advises us, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23, New Revised Standard Version). The Lord”s Supper is a remembrance of what Christ has done for us. It points us to his sacrifice on the cross that makes the forgiveness of our sins a reality. It leads us to fellowship with him, for he has promised to be with us when we gather. We have a hope that is not founded on fantasy, but on historic events. When we eat the loaf and drink the cup, we enter the fellowship of believers who have celebrated this meal faithfully for nearly 2,000 years.
As we come to this meal, may we think of the millions who have found relief from the harsh realities of life around the table of the Lord. May we remember that our God is always faithful. May our hope and faith not waver, but be strengthened. May we come from the table strengthened and refreshed, and able to endure another week of the tumults of life.
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1Translation found at http://etcweb.princeton.edu/dante.
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Mark S. Krause is writing the Communion Meditations for August. Krause recently accepted the call to serve as vice president of academics at Nebraska Christian College, Papillion, Nebraska.
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