Remember Lot’s wife

Lot’s wife’s life came to an abrupt and violent end, Jesus used her death as a warning. We are not told her name, but referring to Lot’s wife all the time seems too formal. Lottie Lot has a ring to it, so I am going to call her Lottie.

I have decided to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back

So goes the African chorus, drawing on the imagery of Lottie Lot. Do not be like Lottie, do not turn back like she did in the Dead Sea valley.

Lottie looked back. But what was she looking back on? What did she do that was so bad that she should share the fate of the people of Sodom?

Jesus said this:

As it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all

What I want to point out here is what is not mentioned, sexuality. When Sodom is mentioned some who profess to be Christian leaders will grimace and go into a long diatribe about what is not said about the sexuality of those in Sodom. Jesus did not say this. To believe that God gave his only begotten Son so that only those who are straight and believe in him will have eternal life is twisting the Gospel. God loves all and God’s love is for all.

Eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building are all normal activities. Most of those who died in Soddom were just going about their normal lives. People who died in the New Zealand earthquake eight years ago were going about their daily lives. Those who lost their lives in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami were no worse than those who survived. Disaster does not strike like that.

We do not know when the end will come for us, or for the people we meet. We have to be single-minded about God and his kingdom, not turning back to what we had like Lottie, preaching his word, proclaiming his love for all and doing his will, feeding the hungry, accepting the stranger, tending to the sick. God loves all and blesses those who do his will.

I can understand how Lottie felt. She was the wife of a rich farmer. The family firm, Abraham and Nephew, had grown so large that it had been divided into two. Lot’s half had settled near Sodom. Life was comfortable. Now this had changed. Her status was now a refugee. You can understand her wanting a life of luxury where she could afford to be complacent. Jesus used the example of Lottie to warn us not to be complacent.

Walking out of the dark place

But there is a particular meaning for me.

Last week I posted that I was giving up my hold on darkness. On Tuesday, as I begin to write this, I got stopped by the words, “Remember Lot’s wife.”

I have to continue walking with God out of the dark places not looking back to how things were. If you have not already, please read the linked blog.