Eastertide

May 16, 2019

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’ –Revelation 21:1-4

I cannot remember being unable to read and have loved reading all my life. Dry eye syndrome slowed my reading down for a while until I decided to try listening to books, which I have learned to love.  I usually read (listen to) books from cover to cover. That said, I do not have a problem with those who create the lectionary I use skipping from Revelation 7 to Revelation 21 because I have read the in between before and do not mind missing the gory details to arrive at a happy ending. Perhaps Revelation 21 should have appeared at the beginning of the book to remind us that no matter how bad it gets God is always with us.

There is no way to sugar-coat the impact of evil on the world. In Revelation the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are used to describe the devastation that Conquest, War, Famine, and Death can and does bring upon our earth. Jimmy Carter noted in an interview recently that the USA has only enjoyed 16 years of peace in its 242-year history, making the country the most warlike nation in the history of the world*. We, indeed, have met the enemy and he is us**.

Of course, Jesus tells us that we as his followers play a vital role in bringing about the happy ending described in the above scripture when he sent us forth to be one as we love God and love our neighbors and build a world ruled by love.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we set our sights on what we deem to be the necessity of evil. Help us live your love as individuals, and communities of faith and help our live guide our work in doing justice in fulfilling our civic responsibilities. Amen.

*Newsweek May 13, 2019 Jimmy Carter took call about China from Concerned Donald Trump: by David Brennan.
**Popularized in a Pogo comic stripe the author is unknown.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.