A couple of weeks ago, I commented on the need, at least for me, to focus on the present in longing, not just the future. This was in reaction to the Advent devotionals in the awesome Mosaic Bible.
This week's meditation entitled A Theology of the Future, by Brad Harper, was excellent and somewhat tackles this issue. He really takes on an Incarnational perspective. This is something followers of this blog know I particularly like. But it's also quite appropriate with the upcoming celebration of THE Incarnation.
Anyway, here's a couple of quotes that are particularly good:
"But the church is not a fortress community waiting for a future kingdom. Rather, we realize the Kingdom of God has already arrive, in part."
"Indeed, the church is God's eschatological community, drawing the future into the present, living out Kingdom values and inviting the world to experience its power now."
"Imagine the church as a glimpse of the future living in the present."
These perspectives are just so important. When we only wait for the future, the present seems worthless. Yet it is not. The present is just as important as the future. But do we act like that? And how do we deal with it when the present includes suffering?
The Present is as a constant flowing river that is sometimes fast, other times slow, occasionally stagnating due to some blockage which eventually will decompose to let the river flow onward, to my way of thinking!
ReplyDeleteThe Future similarly is just the Present viewed from downstream!
The Present and the Future are so connected but not entirely unchangeable, to me. One can pollute the Present and let it float downstream and thereby cause further contempt or one can clean the previously foul Present and once cleansed the river can flow out to sea, pure!
The Present is so important though it seems fleeting. In reality it is that Present which passed down the river til it reached us and now we choose how to use the lessons we see the river can teach us about the past and the future with or without our joining for a Good ride on the current!
He is blessing us
J-M