Badly wanting to change the past is ultimately sin

An interesting Asian drama series-esque scenario played in my mind during Spring Break. Guy and girl are lovers but the girl dies of terminable disease. The cure is found some years later and the guy is given the chance to bring it back into the past. But just how far back? He finds himself having to repeat his life starting from 3rd grade. He is careful to recreate every scene and interaction the way he remembers - while comically avoiding some regrettable pitfalls! Maybe salvaging a relationship with estranged parents or setting a better example for friends of his.

Anyways, it’s pretty romantic. The whole time he is filled with the hope of the fated encounter with the girl, making sure to muster the correct amount of confidence and coyishness upon first contact. The rest of the script is arbitrary. The time is nigh and perhaps the girl doesn’t show up, the camera now shooting through scenes where the sum total of his changes to the past causes an impossibility in intersection. Or maybe they meet: she’s on a hospital bed while he, now an MD, can administer the dosage of cure reserved specifically for her. aw.

Not really important. But I think it highlights a desire a lot of people feel, which can get out of hand and consume oneself. Can we trust God with irreversible actions? How can we when he ordains really really hard trials on his children?

It’s all about that Jesus. The greatest evil ever permitted was the killing of a sinless God-man. Not only killed, Jesus infinitely felt the pain of loneliness while he hung on the cross by being disconnected from the once-tethered Godhead, let alone suffer the Father’s full wrath for the sins of the elect (Hebrews 4:15, John 17:5, 1 Peter 2:24). The result of such a disaster: a new hope and glory for man to finally meet his maker in an embrace rather than deserved punishment (John 17:24).

We can trust God in our suffering. I will close with an encouraging passage from Tim Keller’s King’s Cross:

“The resurrection means we can look forward with hope to the day our suffering will be gone. But it even means that we can look forward with hope to the day our suffering will be glorious. When Jesus shows the disciples his hands and his feet, he is showing them his scars.

Why is this important? Because now that they understand the scars, the sight and memory of them will increase the glory and joy of the rest of their lives. Seeing Jesus Christ with his scars reminds them of what he did for them - that the scars they thought had ruined their lives actually saved their lives. Remembering those scars will help many of them endure their own crucifixion.

On [the Day of the Lord] the same thing will happen to your own hurts and sadness. You will find that the worst things that have ever happened to you will in the end only enhance your eternal delight. … The joy of your glory will be that much greater for every scar you bear.”

Our God is awesome, can’t wait to see him!