From the Daily Lectionary for Monday in the Second Week of Advent
Luke 21:20-28
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Luke is giving us a vision of what the world is like in truth. When we see calamity all around us, we know that the world is on the verge of being set right. It is a “glass half full” vision to be sure, perhaps naively hopeful. It is a statement that the world is inherently good; that love is forever seeking to engender an equilibrium of peace and justice, despite the forces of evil that beset us.
Our mission as people of faith is not so much to change the world, but to enable the world to be what it has been all along, and that is heaven on earth, a world in which abundance is shared, in which there are mutual regard and dignity for all. Such a vision requires above all else… trust, not only in God’s goodness, but also in the innate goodness of others, even our enemies.
I’m reminded of Bryan Stevenson’s ministry to those on death row, the accused and convicted of the most heinous of crimes. He serves them, trusting their innate humanity, and therefore he says he is enabled to more effectively represent them.
I think it is illusory to see the world as “fallen.” I think the Gospels challenge us to see the world as good, and that to act in love is to make visible such goodness, to set loose goodness that is already there, just held hostage. It may be that redemption is more about recognizing the truth than it is about some dramatic existential change. Perhaps recognition is the first step towards restoration and freedom. Or perhaps, better said, redemption is participation in the very process of the creation itself “bending towards justice,” justice being love’s ultimate aim, and we count on, above all else, love’s endurance.
We live in apocalyptic times, good people; the world is falling apart, but read the signs; stand up and raise your heads. We know through faith that goodness and truth will prevail. They always have; and they always will.
A Prayer for the Reign of Christ (BCP p.254)
Everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
