A Sunny Afternoon in Hell
Jude 22–23
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
You may be intrigued by the title: How can it be sunny in Hell?
As I mentioned earlier, I was born in Bradford, which has a football team called Bradford City. I remember standing behind the goal at City’s Valley Parade ground many times. It was an old stadium, with crumbling terraces and an ageing wooden main stand.
They were the first winners of the FA Cup in 1911, but by the 1980s they had fallen on hard times and were playing in the third highest league in England. However, in the 1984–85 season, they had a young and exciting team. They stormed to the division title, and the last game of the season, on 11 May, was meant to be a celebration.
I wanted a ticket, so I called my brother. He was going with his children but was unwilling to get me one, so I phoned the club myself and secured a ticket. I drove to the ground that day.
The stadium was swarming with people. It was a joyous occasion. I sat toward the far end of the main stand. It was a sunny day, but the wind was blowing strongly down the valley where the ground was situated.
It was a poor match. One of the players suffered a serious injury, and the game was dull. About five minutes before half-time, I felt the need to go to the toilet, but something stopped me. I clearly felt, Don’t go. I believe this was the Lord stopping me. If I had gone to the back of the stand, I would have been killed.
No sooner had I settled back into my seat than I heard laughter behind me. Then I saw smoke rising from the seats. Someone had dropped a cigarette, and it had fallen through a crack in the flooring, igniting rubbish beneath the stand.
We were pushed forward, and soon we had to climb, or be pulled, over the wall and onto the pitch. By now the flames were overwhelming. The fire had reached the roof, which was covered in highly combustible felt cladding.
I wandered around on the pitch, searching for my brother and his family, who had been seated in the next section. I remember asking myself, If this is the heat of a fire, what will Hell be like? Total fire and destruction for those who do not trust Christ.
Fifty-six people died that day. Lives were changed forever.
Devotional Thought
For Christians reading this, please consider the following.
This should be our greatest motivation. We ourselves have been pulled out of the fire, so we should seek to rescue others from the fire of Hell.
Some people that day were heroes. They helped those who were on fire. I remember walking past the goalmouth and seeing two bodies lying there. This is the situation in the world today. People are dying every minute of every day, and the church and many Christians stand idly by, doing nothing.
I once heard the story of a man being interviewed for a job as an usher in a cinema. He was asked:
“What would you do if a fire broke out?”
He replied:
“I would be fine. I would make sure I was safe.”
That is how many Christians live.
They have salvation, or so they believe, but they have no care or compassion for those who are perishing all around them.
Spurgeon said:
“The world lies in darkness… If you have found the remedy, tell the diseased about it. If you have found life, proclaim it to the dead. If you have found liberty, publish it to the captives. If you have found Christ, tell of Him to others…”
This memory remains vivid for me. It is a day of sorrow for those who died, but also a day of deep thankfulness that the Lord preserved me.
Let me tell you: it is not enough to attend church, to give to missions, to belong to social media groups, or even to write devotions.
For anyone who has not trusted Christ, life is very short. Many who died that day were young and looking forward to long lives, but suddenly life was gone.
Please do not delay. The day of salvation is now.
2 Corinthians 6:2