This Friday
my family and I attended Planet Comic Con in Kansas City, MO. We didn’t do any
cosplaying and we didn’t do any ministry. We arrived with one goal—to finally
meet the legendary Stan Lee! The only way to guarantee an encounter with the
creator of dozens of beloved Marvel superheroes was to buy a VIP pass, which
cost more than I’m willing to admit. Even with the VIP pass, though, we still
had to wait in line amongst over three hundred other VIPs who all anxiously
awaited the opportunity to meet comic’s most prolific creator. The kids and I were bursting with excitement. I’ve
wanted to meet Stan Lee for ages and my kids have all grown up as Marvel fans
and they’ve even read a children’s biography about Stan Lee, so all of us
eagerly anticipated the moment. As we waited in line for what seemed like an
eternity we discussed what we would say to him and debated which comic book to
have him sign. When the moment finally came, though, it wasn’t all we hoped it
would be.
In order to
ensure every paying customer received an autograph and a photo with Stan Lee,
the convention staff ushered each person through the line at break-neck speeds.
After hours of waiting, we spent literally ten seconds in Stan Lee’s presence.
He offered a warm smile and a “hello” in that unmistakable New York accent of
his, but before we could blink we were ushered out of his presence so that
others could have a turn. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll cherish our photo and my
now-signed copy of Avengers #10, but the whole experience was over so quickly
that it just didn’t live up to the hype and hope we’d built up around it.
As
Christians, we all know what it’s like to eagerly await our opportunity to
stand in the presence of the Creator. Not just the creator of Spider-man and
the Fantastic Four, but the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The Bible says, “Christ
will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who
are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28 NLT). Are you eagerly waiting for
Christ? The early Christians did. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica,
saying, “you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven” (1
Thessalonians 1:10 NLT). The Thessalonians spent their lives with an eye on the
clouds and ear for the trump. They waited anxiously for the day of Christ’s
return.
Sadly, I
think many of us have lost that sense of expectancy. After waiting for hours, I
started to wonder if Stan Lee would ever arrive. I guess some of us have done
the same thing with Christ. We’ve waited so long, we wonder if he’ll ever show
up. He will. But he’ll arrive on his time, not ours. When Stan Lee finally
made his appearance, the crowd began to cheer exuberantly. If you think seeing
Stan Lee is amazing, just wait. The Bible tells us, “On the day when the Lord
Jesus comes, all the people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus” (2
Thessalonians 1:10).
Amazed at
Jesus! Not amazed at angels or mansions or new bodies or new creations. Paul
doesn’t measure the joy of encountering the apostles or embracing our loved
ones. If we will be amazed at those things, which certainly we will, he does
not say. What he does say is that we will be amazed at Jesus. And, in case you’re
worried, your time with Christ won’t be over and done in the blink of an eye
like our meeting with Stan Lee. No one will usher you out of Christ’s presence.
In fact, the Bible assures us that when Christ comes, “we will be with the Lord
forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Forever. No end in sight. I can only imagine what
it will be like when my family and I stand in the presence of Jesus. But until
that day, I’ll choose to live forwardly, eagerly awaiting his arrival!
