Monday 17 August 2009

This week I think it is appropriate to move into a section of Willimon's book that asks: Who is saved?

The Revelation of John pulls back the curtain of eternity and give us a glimpse of salvation completed (Read Revelation 5:11-13)....
One might think that the Revelation - addressed to a persecuted and struggling church - would stress the fortunate few rescued and safe before the Lamb's throne. Although Revelation is not above such limiting judgments, here Revelation's stress is upon the "myriads of myriads and thousands and thousands." A huge crowd is gathered before the throne, a massive, constantly processing choir made up not only of myriads of people, but even "of every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea."

Too often - even in the places where people say that they trust in the the God who chooses us and we can do nothing at all to gain God's acceptance and salvation - we are ready to limit numbers. We cannot have them!! They are not the kind that would fit in here!! There are some restrictions that must be in place!! And yet, our God opens wide the door and gathers in "all." We are not told that the ones who are saved are "all of this kind" or "all who are like this" or "all who act and live like this." Those are designations of "all" that are really a comment about some. If it is all...if it is a cosmic "all"...if it is an "all" that is more than can be counted, then I would say we need to consider "all" as unlimited. In the meantime, rather than debate that glorious act of God or fight about what it "really means," we would do well to live as though it is the truth. Imagine how we might act with one another? Imagine. There is something groundbreaking about when faithful people imagine the wide open arms of our God dragging in the whole net full of "all."

Connection: It is quite an experience to see "good religious people" talk about the unbounded love of God for "all" and yet see them talk and act within a domain of fear and anxiety when the "all" is something that is becoming a reality. It is often manifest in the day by excuses and conditions....lots of them.

Keep us open to the movement of your Spirit that continues to gather us in and bring us into the presence of others who are beloved - even when we are unable to love them as you love. Amen.