Tuesday 18 August 2009

I found this one to be fun - from "who will be saved?" by William Willimon.

Salvation is not only for humans but even for the whales? Behold: a fallen, silenced Creation healed. Our post-Genesis 1-2 situation has been fixed. The creatures are singing. Creation and redemption are together. Revelation 5 leads us to suppose that this life in a fallen world is but a long choir rehearsal. One day, there before the throne, we shall take our places among the myriads of myriads, with those whom we have loved (and, presumably, with the myriads whom we have despised), all singing with one voice, "Blessing and honor and glory and might to the Lamb!"

We must truly let ourselves be lifted beyond ourselves so that we can be a witness to what God has done, is doing, and will do forever and ever. God saves. God rescues. God heals all the brokenness that we cannot tolerate. Something "new" breaks into the world when God is saving all things. We are shaken up to see that reconciliation and forgiveness and unbounded love are some of the character traits of the festival of God's salvation that is breaking out even now. When we let ourselves imagine a myriad of myriads it is like looking in a mirror and with a mirror behind you. The images never stop. They may become so small that we can no longer count them or see them...but the reflection keeps going - a myriad of myriads. Beyond us and with us and around us and in front of us and behind us and...forever. What I am always interesting in is why and how I ever can come to a place in which I make a ruling (maybe you do too) that the numbers must end...that the party is too big or too open and free. Then again, I cannot fully comprehend the expansiveness of God's love even to see that I am always and forever beloved. Duh.

Connection: Imagine who is in that gathering.

Precious Lord, remind us of all your beloved who are in the room and how we are not able to find peace with those who are not like us in the room unless we are already pulled into your Reign of Peace and grasped by your Saving Love. Amen.