Helmut Thielicke had lived on the borderline between life and death enduring a life-threatening illness in his youth and confronting the perpetually present carnage of World War Two. He ministered to a skeptical generation that teetered on the borderline between faith and unbelief.
Our stories, be they never so inspiring or worthy of emulation, should never be equated with proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Gospel Jesus Christ commissioned to be proclaimed.
The challenges of meeting severe crises and the hurdles which dare us to say something meaningful to the satisfied and richly blessed can make us wonder what we are really there to do as we come into the pulpit.
By death the Christian is brought to the actual possession of all his happiness, which is nothing other than Christ and all the benefits Christ has procured for His saints.
One now finds Edwards frequently commenting on the beautiful things about nature, life, and Christ, and he also manifests a creative perception of beauty when considering the most morose of topics: Death.