How We Come To Resemble Christ, by Jonathan B. Coe

As I mentioned in a recent essay, over the years I’ve noticed a fair number of Christians who have shipwrecked their faith because of unrealistic expectations about how their lives would play out. They remind me of the children of Israel, who, because of the affliction they experienced in the wilderness, became offended at both Moses and God and wanted to return to Egypt (a Type of the world) so they could eat their fill of leeks, garlic, cucumbers, and meat.

An important early lesson for the practicing Catholic is to learn that we live in what philosopher John Hick called a “soul-making world”, not an “all-my-dreams-will-come-true” world. Sometimes dreams do come true in the areas of marriage, family, work, friends, and career, but no one is insulated from the trials of living in a fallen world that we call the Vale of Tears:

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day” (Mt. 6:34).

So, in this world this side of eternity, we have our ups and downs, our days of blessing and misfortune, our times of humiliation and exaltation. Here, we can learn a lot from the silkworm. ….

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