Rescued from the Depths

This morning I was reading the paper (yes, I’m still old school that way), amazed at the story about the rescue of the Chilean miners who have been trapped underground for 69 days. The account of the first miner, Florencio Avalos, emerging from the missile-like rescue capsule to a cacophony of cheers, hugging his sobbing 7-year-old son and wife and President Sebastia Pinera was heartwarming. I literally had a lump in my throat. One writer reported, “The miners emerged like clockwork, jubilantly embracing wives, children and rescuers and looking remarkably composed Wednesday after languishing in the depths of a mine that easily could have been their tomb.”


The world is captivated by this story. Everyone is celebrating the rescue. I could not help but think of the stories Jesus told in Luke 15 about the rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. The words of the father of the Prodigal Son come to mind, “We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and found” (Luke 15:32).

Each one of those miners is somebody’s son, brother, husband, or boyfriend. Each one is loved, and important to somebody else. Each one’s rescue/salvation is celebrated with great rejoicing. As the last few miners emerge from the depths, the celebration will continue. Miner #33 is just as important as Miner #1. Let’s have this same mindset in the Lord’s church. Every person who comes to know Jesus is reason to rejoice. One more has been rescued from the pit of hell. Praise be to God!