God as eternal judgement - sound frightening and yet it is must be seen as a balm
that heals the sin sick soul.
Eternal judgement sounds frightening to most folks. These are the words that people
who knock on doors try to leave with you when they visit with pamphlets. It is he
word on those freeways signs that are usually painted with red letters. If you talk
to those folks, they will tell you that they are most interested in 'saving' you
so that you will not be eternally condemned. There is so much baggage being handled
in these few words - I must be stupid to even step into it all. Then again, this
is me and yes, I can be less than wise.
So let me start with just a small part of what I want to do. When it comes to the
word eternal and the games in which it is used, it is often seen as the time after
all of our time is gone. It is the 'beyond the death bed' time. It is the 'eternal'
part of the question: Where will you spend eternity?!?!? The pictures are as old
as our memories and beyond that - the fire - the pitchforks - the separation from
others - notion of being caught up forever and ever. And yet, eternal is now and
was back in the beginning of all things (if we can even begin to contemplate that)
and is the moment in which I am sitting and you are reading. Eternal is not a place
to which we will go - someday. I suppose I could say it is a place. If I did that,
I would need to say it is all places in all of time. Eternal life is the journey
along the road - every stop - every greeting - every trip and fall - every possibility.
So to begin, we need not fear talking about or thinking about eternal life. If it
meant the eternal availability of our God who is 'eternally' with us an for us,
how would you say or hear that word?
O God of love and new life, we give you thanks for each day you bring us into our
eternal home where you reside and preside over life that is abounding in steadfast
love. Amen.
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