Patrick Henry famously made a similar statement regarding liberty. I don’t share that dude’s passion for political and civil freedoms in the present world, but “To each his own,” as my mom would say. In any case, I at least understand the logic of his reasoning. It actually becomes even more clear when we distinguish three conceivable outcomes for Mr. Henry:

1. Go to war with Great Britain and come out victorious with the “freedom” he so desired.
2. Go to war with Great Britain and die in the process.
3. Don’t go to war with Great Britain and continue to live under that imperial “tyranny.”

Bro is saying that, for him, #3 is the option which is utterly intolerable. He’s not pining away for option #2, he’s not suicidal, he’s not a masochist, he doesn’t inherently like blood, death, or war for their own sake. But boy oh boy, he sure doesn’t like living under tyrannical oppression. So he is going to AIM at option #1 as his ideal target, with awareness that realistically he might hit #2. If he hits #1, supercalifabulosious! But, if he hits #2 while aiming for #1, OK, at least in death he doesn’t have to live under the unbearable horror of British tyranny.

And that’s how I feel about the manifest Presence of Jesus and His Spirit in this world. Taxation without representation doesn’t make me miserable, but a world broken by sin without the Active Presence of Jesus the Healer really does give me the unshakable blues.

This world … ah, this world! … it has so much potential! The mountains here are very beautiful and provide great hiking. The mangos, peanuts, and kale blended together with oat milk make for such satisfying smoothies! Many of the playful dogs are very cute. And the humans! Oh the humans… again, such glorious potential! The humans can be so incredibly lovely whenever you catch a glimpse of that kernel of the image of God in which they were originally made.

But then, … the brokenness, the sin, and all the yuckity yuck that comes with it. It is like taking a deliciously prepared steak and buttered squash dinner and then sprinkling rabbit poop pellets all over it. “Hey! Why’d you go and do that?!? Why’d you have to ruin everything?!?” So much potential, yet so tragically squandered.

This world (Heb. olam ha zeh) and this life, given the present condition of things, is not supercalifabulosious in the way that it should be in line with the original Edenic design. That’s why Jesus will come again to “make all things new” in the olam ha ba (“world to come”).

And that is also why I think that publicly distributing Bibles in Afghanistan is a good idea. Maybe Jesus will show up, like He did with the three boys in the fire in Daniel 3, and I will survive long enough to see His Kingdom take root in the hearts of men and begin to spread in that land. Or maybe not; but without the Manifest Presence of Jesus this world in its present condition is not worth clinging to anyways, so in that case the worthwhile thing to do is to contribute to filling up the requisite number of those who must be slain (Rev 6:11) in order to hasten the Day of His appearing.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. One way or another, He has granted His people a role to play in speeding that Day. Maranatha!