But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. (From 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ) Krisopher Coffman, welcoming the birth of his first son, now realizes how fitting the imagery of labor is. Though he knew that his wife would eventually go into labor, the last days of her pregnancy were full of waiting and watching. At any moment, they knew their lives would change forever, but could not predict it or escape it. In Jesus' day, time had two properties: One it was eternal, like death; Two it was cyclical, like New Year's Eve. In 1 Thessalonians Paul is teaching the concept of time heading toward one destiny: The Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord has a catch however: it's hour is unknown coming with a "Great Tribulation". To make it through the "Great Tribulation" means to be, "sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvat...