​THE END AND THE BEGINNING

I know that the title seems backwards. I mean, ends always follow beginnings, right? We Christians, however, are a peculiar people. This Sunday we will observe the Festival of Christ the King. It is an ending. We have spent the last year telling the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Our gospel guides have been Luke and John. This Sunday we will celebrate and anticipate the completion, the consummation, of the reign of God and redemption of all things. 

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​This ending will then drive us to the beginning. Advent (which means “arrival”) will begin, and we will start telling the story of Jesus once again, guided in the coming year by Matthew and John. The end of the age and dawn of the new age are still in process, so we begin again. The vision of the end informs the beginning. It is the future of God that determines the present path.

Our theme for the season is Advent of Peace. All you have to do is read the news to know that “peace” does not describe the state of the world or human condition. There is war, terrorism, deep divisions that tear our nation, cities and even our families apart. Many dread the approaching holiday gatherings because division will come to the table bringing resentment, bickering, and broken relationships. How can we say that this new beginning is a season of peace? Only with the end firmly in view.

At the end of history all things will be judged, all will be revealed as having been of the reign of God or something else. Our political and economic systems will be held up to the light of the gospel and judged by the Crucified One. Our political ideals, our arguments, our long-held hurts, and anger will not matter.

We already know the answer to the test questions. Love will conquer evil. Grace will erase divisions. There will no longer be “Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) There will no longer be racism, persecution of people due to their differences, or living in fear of what we are.

As the prophets declared, the widow, the orphan, and the resident alien living among you (in other words all who struggle at the margins of life) will be blessed. The lion and lamb will lie down together, the swords will be turned into farm implements, and peace will reign. That is why we can declare with confidence as we begin the story of Jesus (and our story) anew that this is the Advent of Peace. We do so because we know the ending and it makes for a new beginning.
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Pax Christi – Tim Olson, Lead Pastor
 
 
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