Reflection: In today’s verses we see what seems to be a very bleak and dark picture of those who aren’t followers of Jesus. This may not seem to you to be an accurate description. It may in fact seem harsh. So what are we to make of it?
Perhaps this is a bit like the well-known picture which is an illusion of a young woman and an old hag. Perhaps you can see one, perhaps the other. But the reality is that both are in the picture.
From a human perspective, there are many delightful people of every faith description and of no faith. But the other part of the picture is the spiritual reality, and that’s what Paul describes in this passage. Not everyone who doesn’t follow Jesus has reached the depths of the end point in verse 19, but the spiritual reality is that without Christ, all are living in the futility of their own thinking, are darkened in their understanding and are separated from the life of God.
What is your response to this description of those who are not part of the body of Christ?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to see the darkness of lives lived separately from you. Save us from living such lives and save those who are precious to us. Amen.