WHEN WE ANTICIPATE CHRIST'S COMING AGAIN. SO THE READINGS TODAY TELL OF THE FINAL RESURRECTION AND THE END OF TIME. IN THE TURMOIL OF HOPE, FEAR, AND DISBELIEF THAT THESE PREDICTIONS PROVOKE IN US. HEBREWS SOUND A NOTE OF CONFIDENT TRUST. CHRIST MAKES A WAY FOR US WHERE THERE IS NO WAY, AND WE WALK IT CONFIDENTLY, OUR HEARTS AND BODIES WASHED IN BAPTISMAL WATER, TRUSTING THE ONE WHO HAS PROMISED. THE MORE WE SEE THE LAST DAY APPROACHING, THE MORE IMPORTANT IT IS TO MEET TOGETHER TO PROVOKE ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE.
AS JESUS CAME OUT OF THE TEMPLE, ONE OF THE DISCIPLES SAID TO HIM, " LOOK, TEACHER, WHAT LARGE STONES, AND WHAT LARGE BUILDINGS! THEN JESUS ASKED THEM, " DO YOU SEE THESE GREAT BUILDINGS? NO STONE WILL BE LEFT HERE UPON ANOTHER; ALL WILL BE THROWN DOWN. AT THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY, THE CLUE TO ITS ASTONISHING HISTORY AND PERSISTENT POWER, WE FIND A CONTRAST, IN A CRISIS, A TRANSITION IS THE PASSION; THE GREAT GESTURE OF UNBLEMISHED CHARITY IN WHICH ST.JOHN SAYS : " WE KNOW LOVE." " SERVING THE CALL." THE TRANSFORMATION IS THAT OF A MAN'S LIMITED NATURE, HIS NARROW SELF, AS WE KNOW IT HERE, INTO SOMETHING NEW, STRANGE AND LOVELY; POSSESSED OF A MYSTERIOUS POWER AND FREEDOM, A FRESH KIND OF LIFE, AND SPENDING THIS LIFE WITHIN OUR EVERYDAY EXISTENCE TO SERVE AND SAVE. ONLY A SPIRITUAL SEQUENCE WHICH IS COMPLETED IN THIS-LIFE GIVING LIFE IS FULLY SANE FULLY CHRISTIAN. THE PATTERN WHICH IS SHOWN TO US IS A PATTERN WHICH LIVES AND MOVES AND CHANGES AS WE MUST LIVE AND MOVE AND CHANGE. THOSE WHO GIVE THEMSELVES TO THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT ARE BROUGHT BIT BY BIT, AS THEY CAN BEAR IT, RESPOND TO IT, TO THAT CRISIS IN WHICH ALL THEY HAVE WON SEEMS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM; AND THEY ARE FACED BY THE DEMAND FOR COMPLETE SURRENDER, AN ACT OF UNCONDITIONAL TRUST. BUT THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY. THE SELF-ABANDONMENT OF THE CROSS IS A TRANSITION FROM HALF REAL TO REAL; IT IS THE SURRENDER OF OUR SELF, EVEN, OUR SPIRITUAL SELF- THE MOST AND LASTING THE DIFFICULT OFFERING OF LOVE. WE MUST DO THE LORD'S WORK WEARING THE COAT OF LOVE, FOR HOW WILL THEY KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY A LOVE, LOVE THAT SHOWS
CHRIST WITHIN US, SO THAT WE MAY ENTER BY THE STRAIGHT GATE, SO HARD TO FIND AND SO UNPROMISING IN APPEARANCE, THAT LIFE-GIVING LIFE OF TRIUMPHANT CHARITY FOR WHICH HUMANITY IS MADE. ONLY THOSE WHO ARE GENEROUS UP TO THE LIMITS OF SELF-LOSS CAN HOPE TO BECOME CHANNELS OF THE GENEROSITY OF GOD. THIS MEANS THAT THE THOUGHT OF GOD, PENETRATING
OUR TANGLED WORLD AND ENTERING INTO UNION WITH OUR IMPERFECT NATURE, SAVES AND TRANSFORMS THAT NATURE, RAISES TO A NEW LEVEL, NOT BY POWER, BUT BY FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF THAT HOLY LIFE. "AS DYING AND BEHOLD WE LIVE, IS A LITERAL FACT FOR THE GENUINE CHRISTIAN,WHO BELIEVES IN GOD. A CHRISTIAN BELIEVES IN GOD, BUT ALSO IN A GOD WHO IS INCARNATE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? TO PUT THE MATTER INTO STREET LANGUAGE, ONE MIGHT SAY: A THEIST BELIEVES IN A GOD IN HEAVEN WHERE AS A CHRISTIAN BELIEVES IN A GOD IN HEAVEN WHO IS ALSO PHYSICALLY PRESENT ON THIS EARTH INSIDE HUMAN BEINGS. THE THEISTIC GOD IS TRANSCENDENT, AND IF NOT WHOLLY SO, PRESENT IN MATTER ONLY AS SOME VAGUE GROUND OF BEING. IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, WHEN YOU FORGIVE SOMEONE, THEY ARE FORGIVEN; IF YOU HOLD SOME ONE IN LOVE, HE OR SHE IS HELD TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. HEL IS ONLY POSSIBLE ONLY WHEN ONE HAS PUT ONESELF TOTALLY OUT OF RANGE OF LOVE, FORGIVENESS, HUMAN LOVE AND FORGIVENESS. IF A CHILD ORA BROTHER, OR A SISTER OR A LOVED ON OF YOURS STRAYS FROM THE CHURCH IN TERMS OF FAITH PRACTICE AND MORALITY, AS LONG AS YOU CONTINUE TO LOVE THAT PERSON, AND HOLD HIM OR HER IN UNION, HE OR SHE IS TOUCHING THE HEM OF THE GARMENT, AND IS HELD TO THE BODY OF CHRIST AND IS FORGIVEN BY GOD. YOUR TOUCH IS CHRIST'S TOUCH.
ONE OF THE GREAT CHRISTIAN APOLOGISTS, G.K. CHESTERTON, ONCE WROTE A LITTLE PARABLE ON THIS: A MAN WHO WAS ENTIRELY CARELESS OF SPIRITUAL AFFAIRS DIED AND WENT TO HELL. AND HE WAS MUCH MISSED ON EARTH BY HIS OLD FRIENDS. HIS BUSINESS AGENT WENT DOWN TO THE GATES OF HELL TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF BRINGING HIM BACK. BUT THOUGH HE PLEADED FOR THE GATES TO BE OPEN, THE IRON BARS NEVER YIELDED. HIS PASTOR WENT AND ARGUED: " HE WAS NOT A BAD FELLOW, GIVEN TIME HE WOULD HAVE MATURED. LET HIM OUT PLEASE!" HE GATES REMAINED STUBBORNLY CLOSED. AGAINST THEIR VOICES. FINALLY, HIS MOTHER CAME; SHE DID NOT BEG FOR HIS RELEASE. QUIETLY, WITH A STRANGE CATCH IN HER VOICE, SHE SAID TO SATAN: " LET ME IN." IMMEDIATELY THE GREAT DOORS SWUNG OPEN. UPON THEIR HINGES. FOR LOVE GOES DOWN THROUGH THE GATES OF HELL AND THERE REDEEMS THE DEAD.
THE INCREDIBLE GRACIOUSNESS, POWER, AND MERCY, THAT CAME INTO OUR WORLD THROUGH JESUS, AT LEAST POTENTIALLY, SO, IN OUR WORLD IN US, WHAT WE ARE ASKED TO DO IN THE BODY OF CHRIST. WHAT JESUS DID WE TOO CAN DO; WHAT WE ARE ASKED TO DO.
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