Friday, September 28, 2012

Now AND Later

Acts 19:21-41
"Now after these things had been accomplished..." (Acts 19:21a); this half verse serves as a transition into our reading from Acts today, and though it seems insignificant there is something to be learned even here. In many ways, we as Christians are focused on the reign of God coming in its fullness. Nonetheless, we cannot allow ourselves to lose track of the here and now. Days pass, things happen; babies are born, other lives come to an end. There are concrete needs to be met and real opportunities for service. In other words, things get accomplished and the story that is God's involvement in the world moves on.

As disciples of Jesus Christ we cannot gaze into the distant future alone. We must also be very aware of what is happening around us and how we as believers are called to respond. One way this plays out, I believe, is in our consideration of one another. The coming reign of God, while already present in part (see Luke 4), may give us the impression of distance and abstraction. We may see elements of life in artificial terms and make claims that are overly presumptuous. It is far easier to point the finger at others and not accept our own sinfulness if God's presence lies somewhere far away. But the more we reflect on the day to day nature of the faith, the more we recognize accomplished events leading one to another, the less room we have for separating ourselves out. "I and you" statements must now be rephrased to recognize the "us" dynamic of shared life. Name calling becomes an empty exercise seen in the light of the very real presence of God.

So God's people are invited to share today as well as tomorrow, to live from event to event while living in expectant hope for what God will do in the fullness of time.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us to see you at work in the shared lives of the world and to take up the work of your coming reign. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

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