God’s time is not ours. A thousand generations have come and gone, and still the headlines record our latest idolatrys and selfish incursions into injustice and material gain. Faithful friends through the centuries have dutifully expected that today would be the day when God would fulfill God’s Kingdom…but the End Times have remained unseeable. Or have they? Scripture readings for the upcoming weekend bring the audacious realization that the long-awaited Kingdom is already happening! Dare we announce this to an already skeptic audience?
Acts 11:1-18 describes the circumcision party of the Christian Jewish sect confronting Peter about going to a Gentile’s house and eating with him/them (Cornelius the Centurion). This gives Peter opportunity to retell his story about the sheet with “clean & unclean” critters, and the ensuing reproof by God, “What I have designated as clean you must not consider UNclean” (Acts 10:9-18). So the Holy Spirit came to the Gentiles, too! “If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,” says Peter, “who was I that I could hinder God?” New and unexpected things are happening despite our stuffy rules.
At almost the conclusion (21:1-6) of the Revelation to John, the Divine tells us that “then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” I firmly believe that this passage, although often relegated to pie-in-the-sky futurism, is describing an ongoing building program begun at the Incarnation–or maybe before! We’re already living in the middle of the story now unfolding. Christians have authority to speak an alternative to death, greed and warfare: “See, I am making all things new.”
John’s Gospel account, 13:31-35, is always enigmatic. The word that springs out at me is “glorified”: Biblicly, we imagine a bright light of Heavenly Fire which illumines and warms all the dark spots. The rest of the world talks in terms of honor and distinction: Milton claims, “for what is glory but the praise of fame?” Thomas Troeger reminds us that “today’s reading may reveal how the church was continuing to struggle with Jesus’ radically transformed understanding of glory.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 2:471) We continue to struggle with this “now”ness as all around us are mired in our own agendas As Time Goes By.
I admit to a great deal of fatigue with the ongoing news of corruption in high places, exploitation of others in not-so-high places, and the seeming lack of compassion in so many. Now that the high energy level of my ministry and indignation is but a fading memory, I cling (desperately?) to the reassurance that the foundations of God’s Place are already built and are growing day by day. Perhaps I can still stand in the midst of the chill winds and quaver on about how God is really at work at a minor planet about which God hasn’t forgotten.
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My thoughts and hopes about lectionary readings assigned for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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