The Never Ending Tour of Disasters

Yesterday's Tour de France was very exciting, but very disappointing for those who were rooting for Andy Schleck. Just as he was shifting into a different chainring to attack Alberto Contador on the Port de Bales he experienced "chain suck" and locked up his drivetrain. In trying to free it, he dropped his chain and lost 30 seconds trying to get it back in place. That mechanical incident cost him the yellow jersey, as Alberto Contador raced ahead of him and on to the finish line 39 seconds in front of Andy. That left Schleck 8 seconds down on the new wearer of the yellow jersey. But it was just one of a huge number of incidents that have knocked competitor after competitor out of the Tour de France this year. The toll has been staggering, and now, with two days still remaining in the Pyrenees this is beginning to feel like the never ending tour of disasters.

I've been reading the book of Revelation for the past week and I'm beginning to feel that same way about the apocalyptic events portrayed in John's revelation. First there's the seven churches with all of their sins and shortcomings. Then there are the seven seals. And when you get to the seventh one, suddenly there are seven trumpets. The punishments threatened and disasters pictured go on and on and on. It's enough to make you lose hope!

But that's not the purpose of the book of Revelation. It is intended to give hope. First, it's important to remember that John gives us a glimpse of the future from several different prespectives. The accounts of the end are progressive and recapitulative. The most important thing, however, is that they all lead to the ultimate triumph of Christ over Satan, and the victory of the saints who persevere to the end. Yes, Revelation 8:13 does warn us: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth." but that is not the end of the story.

The end of this year's Tour de France has not yet come, and there are still six or seven cyclists who have great chance of standing on that podium in Paris if they can avoid disaster and persevere to the end. Revelation makes it clear that the end times will bring much tribulation, but the end will come and Christ's promise from Revelation 2:10 will be fulfilled: "Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life." So just as the riders in the Tour will get on their bikes once again after their rest day tomorrow and pedal on towards Paris, so the saints of God must continue to be faithful even to the point of death, and just as surely as the Tour will end July 25 at the Podium in Paris, so too will Christ return and take us to be with him in glory!