I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25)
For those with apocalyptic leanings, it seems apparent that we are increasingly surrounded on all sides with signs of endings. The Church seems to be falling apart, at least church as we have known it over the course of the past hundred or so years in North America. This creates no small amount of anxiety, perhaps more at the top layers of authority than in the pews.
The images from the Gulf, the wars and rumors of wars, weather patterns apparently caused by global warming all provide fodder for those who try to interpret the signs of the apocalypse.
Today's epistle reading from Romans suggests another perspective on "the sufferings of this present time." St. Paul suggests that we learn to see difficult challenges as we would labor pains. Now I know that such an image is frought with danger given Paul's reputation (deserved or not!) as something of a chauvinist. Nevertheless, labor pains do in fact lead to birth and even a man knows that. They lead to new life even when there is great pain.
Are things falling apart, or are they being made new? There is a wonderful prayer that is prayed at ordinations in the Episcopal Church which includes these words: "...let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new..." (BCP 528) If we believe that, then we live with hope. If we believe that then we stand tall in the midst of a fearful people. Hope isn't about what we can see or measure or prove or argue. Hope is about waiting with patience for what we cannot yet see, knowing that whatever else Easter means it surely means that God brings new life out of death. That isn't a once-upon-a-time story, but rather a claim that goes to the very heart of who God is - and who we are called to become.
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