April 25, 2013
Daniel Daring Daniel's
previous reflections
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth
– Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts
14:21-27; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35
It
is said that the old John was exiled on the Island of Patmos. Left there alone
and hearing the news of persecution – his brothers and sisters being martyred
by the Romans for their faith in Jesus Christ – John turned to the Lord in
prayer, beseeching Him for mercy upon His beloved children. Then, in a vision,
he saw something that is difficult to imagine: a new world without suffering and
pain, without sadness and cries, and even without death. God was coming to wipe
every tear from the eyes of His people (Revelation 21:4).
Religion of Hope
A week ago somebody asked me, whether it is our belief that God will destroy the world at the end of times, pointing to the famous passage in the scriptures: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). My immediate answer to this was that if there is anyone who will destroy the world it will be us. Then, I began to think about the question again.
Apocalyptic belief in the destruction of the world is not new. During the time of Jesus, there was a religious group – the Essenes – which believed that God was going to punish the people for their sins by sending fire upon the earth. They withdrew to a desert and lived a life of holiness and purity, waiting for the day of God’s wrath to come and to destroy everything. But Jesus was preaching the Kingdom of God, not the day of God’s wrath. Jesus was preaching the days of refreshment, the days of God’s grace that brought forgiveness of sin and healing. It was a message of transformation, not a message of destruction. How then do we so easily misinterpret His preaching? We often act like John the Baptist who expected the Messiah “whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12, KJV). But then comes merciful Jesus, who instead of purging and burning, heals and makes well, and John did not know how to handle it. “Are you the one who is supposed to come or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3).
Christianity
is religion of hope, a hope that has dreams and visions for this world and for
the people on this earth. This hope is rooted in the life and message of Jesus
who destroyed death and revealed the resurrection. The first Christians were
looking forward to that vision of a different life under the lordship of the
risen Lord. Despite their immense suffering, they hoped that their testimony of
faith would bring the presence of God’s kingdom into this world.
New commandment
The Jewish rabbis have a saying that if only all the Jews would obey God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, by spending it on prayer and reading God’s word instead of doing their business, then the Messiah would come. We Christians could as well say that if only all of us would obey Jesus’ commandment, ‘love one another as I have loved you,’ then heaven would descend upon the earth.
There
is something about love that attracts. It makes us happy; it brings meaning to
our lives; it gives us power to take responsibility and to sacrifice for others.
It is a divine virtue that reflects the presence of God in the world. “God is
love” says the first letter of John 4:8, and the one who loves is born of God
and knows God (1 John 4:7). Love attracts because it has the power to transform
people and the world. Julie was born handicapped. Abandoned by her parents, she
found herself cared for by religious sisters. It is love that makes her face
shine every time she greets you with a beautiful smile. Joseph is a mentally
retarded child unable to communicate in a natural way. But the moment someone
touches him and begins to speak to him, Joseph reacts with an excitement and joy
trying in his own way to tell how happy he is.
Jesus
is inviting us to love the way He loved. It is love that welcomes everyone and
makes us realize our own value and dignity in the eyes of God. “You are
precious in my eyes and I love you” (Isaiah 43:4). If we are so important for
God, should we not value ourselves and the people around us? Should we not also
welcome everybody to our communities and help others to realize their value and
dignity? Love can make heaven out of our world. God was in love with us and with
the world when He sent His only Son (John 3:16) and He continues to love us
preparing for something that no eye can see and no ear can hear (Isaiah 64:4),
something which defies our imagination: a new heaven and a new earth.
Conclusion
The book of Revelation ends with a beautiful prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). In the midst of trails and difficulties, in the midst of pain and sufferings, and in the midst of death, the Christian community prays fervently that Jesus will come and bring His vision of new heaven and new earth to completion. On the other hand, we, His followers, make that vision come closer to its reality every time we put our faith to work through charity (Galatians 5:6). There is no better way of following Jesus than to love the way He loved.
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