a Fairy Tale and Eternal Life

First Church offers an English as Second Language (E.S.L.) class every Thursday morning from 10 a.m. to noon.
People from many countries have come and learned together basic skills to live in this country, such as American idioms, traffic system, insurance policies etc.

This summer our teachers have decided to teach on "fairy tales". Familiar stories our students have already known in their languages have helped them to understand the story quickly enough to discuss many serious questions. We have learned "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "the Beauty and the Beast" so far.

We had a very interesting discussion two weeks ago while we were studying "Beauty and the Beast."
Cathy Bingaman, one of our teachers, brought a very interesting question to the students at the beginning: "Isn't it possible for a beast to be tamed?".

Obviously this question was from a line from the fairy tale. Cathy explained that this question was the last one that the princess asked her father while she was walking back home with him. In responses, many students discussed many things: how a person becomes a bad person, failure of school system, American justice system etc. Finally our discussion went into religious issues as wee discussed about how people can be redeemed.

When students were asked about the definition of "redemption", many people immediately said that 'redemption' in religion is going to heaven or to some kind of paradise. However, when one Korean lady told her opinion about 'redemption', it really got my attention and made me think about the faith we have in Jesus Christ. She said, "Many Christians and Buddhists in Korea talk about 'eternal life' or 'going to heaven' after our death, but it does not appeal to me.", and she continued, "I don't care about eternal life after my death, but the most important thing to me is that how I should live on this earth right here and now."

I think she really challenged the Christian faith though she may not realized it at that time. She summarized very well what our Christians faith must do in our life as we are living each and every day. Jesus said that eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God sent (John 17:3). We have already believed in God and put our faith in Jesus Christ, and, then, this faith naturally leads us into 'eternal life'. We don't have to wait to receive eternal life after our death, or we don't need to wander this world to pursue something eternal. When we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have experienced God’s forgiveness, love, peace through him. And Christ’s presence resides in us and works in us no matter what happens in our life so that we may find strength and hope in him everyday. This experience in Christ Jesus is eternal. This is the redemption we have in Jesus. In Christ Jesus we can live eternal life here and now.

Many times we as Christians miss this opportunity and possibility to live this eternal life in Jesus right here and now. Many people outside the church do not see in us the power that can change their lives because we do not live this eternal life that Jesus gave us.

Christ calls us to live out this faith in him TODAY, not tomorrow. When we live out this eternal life here and now, a fairy tale story can become a reality. And, I am sure that it is possible for a beast, no matter who it is, to be tamed in Christ's love and care if we live out eternal life and share it TODAY in Jesus' name.