During our whole life we need to receive comfort and to give comfort to others. Human comfort is "wishing good luck" and "it'll be
alright". More like a "happy pill", an escape from the terrible reality. Some also have the harmful conflict solving method: "Smile Smile
and disappear".
But, God's true comfort is not that he gives us a happy pill. To forget reality for a moment. No, it is that He comes closer and walks with us through the difficulties. His presence ... makes all the difference and we see light even in the midst of darkness.
"....God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" 2 Cor 1:4
The word comfort here is Para-klesos = calling us near. Calling us together. A free translation of 2 Corinthians 1:4 could be:
We can keep distance to each other because we fear that others will infect us or hurt us. But since the light is always is stronger than the darkness, we can boldly come closer to each other to be able to share God's genuine comfort and love. It is always stronger.
A man who used to live in a lot of drugs and alcohol experienced the difference and said: "I no longer wear out my shoes because now God carries me". "Smile smile and .... come closer".My experience is that in the Christian Church Fellowship I experience the genuine comfort of God, so I can go to people and invite them also to the presence of the same God ... with the same genuine comfort. Which works.Ingvar (Fred)
