There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
Our Christian faith is built upon God's promises. Whenever we speak of hope, we're not talking about an optimistic attitude about the weather; we're talking about our confident expectation that God's justice, mercy and peace will prevail in the end. He has promised and he will do it. If there is no God, there is no hope.
Reflecting further upon our expectations, we understand that human nature is a continual expectation. Creatures of time cannot live without long memories of the past and confident expectations of the future. Consciousness does not simply look at the present moment; it is aware of the future and the past. Our secular sciences continually investigate the fossil record of what happened in the natural world and the archaeological evidence of our human ancestors. They no more satisfied with an unknown "prehistoric era" than cartographers are with blind spots on the map.
The future is more difficult to imagine and predict, and yet we want to know what will happen. Christians study the future with the assurances of God's word.
So from the earliest days of the Church there have been enthusiasts who got a bit carried away with their expectation. Using whatever interpretive tools of the scripture, they have announced, "The end is near!" In today's gospel Jesus gives us a simple response to that nonsense: "You'll know it when it happens!" There will be no doubt. It will flash like lightning from one end of the sky to the other.
In the meanwhile, courage cultivates that eager expectation. We want to be satisfied, and we do not want anything less than complete satisfaction. There are a million misleading suggestions in every direction as to what might satisfy us. In mid-November, we're assaulted with Christmas and we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet.
If to be human is to expect, the Christian burns with expectation. Jesus showed that when he declared:
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished. (Luke 12:49-50)
The traditions of fasting, prayer vigils and almsgiving -- which should include volunteering for good causes -- intensify our longing. It is better to be hungry than to stuff ourselves with disappointment.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.