Reading through the Old Testament something jumped out at me. We certainly see the “God of wrath and judgment” far more than in the New Testament. But we also see something else in the midst of all that wrath and judging. We see long spans of time over which things play out. So many prophecies were laid out over the course of years or lifetimes. This patient unfolding is a reason for us to hope.
On one hand, it might be argued that things unfolding over time is a bit cruel. A judgment is made known, and then it’s this long, drawn out “hurry up and wait” for the axe to drop. It is the long, painful process of knowing it’s coming, wanting it to be over with, and having to anticipate just how bad it’s going to be. That’s one way of looking at it.
The other, and the one I prefer, is far more hopeful. Seeing something bad looming far off can be intimidating. Knowing we have time before it gets here is hopeful. It’s hopeful because when we have time, we have opportunity. When we have time, we have a window in which change and transformation can occur. In other words, when we have time, we can course correct and set our path for a brighter, better future.
Yes, there are things to worry about today. Yes, there are fearful consequences for the actions of the many and the few that could be off in the distance, or for some perhaps much nearer. However collectively, knowing that the best and the worst things often take time to unfold gives us hope that adjustments can be made.
This hope is, and should be, the hallmark of Christianity. There is no place for fear mongering among us. Fear only works if we resign ourselves to the inevitability that evil will have its way. We are called to a much bolder and brighter outlook. We are called into the courage of the first disciples and of Christ Himself. We are called to never succumb to fear or accept that good will only triumph at the return of Jesus and we just ride it out until that day arrives.
People of faith are called to shake the world. We are called to live radically in love, peace, compassion, and justice. And we are obliged to inspire others to live likewise and in relationship with Jesus. The clock has not run out, and so each and every day we have one more chance to change the world around us. Each new day is another burst of hope that tomorrow, should it come, can be better.
The disciples lived for this. Jesus died for this. They began a movement that had a single, noble, high goal. They sought to transform this world into the Kingdom of God one soul at a time by following Christ. It wasn’t easy. It took great bravery, patience, and persistence. Yet over time their message spread and lives, communities, and nations changed. And the message continues to play on.
Perhaps the ultimate hope is not just that as long as we have time we have opportunity to improve. There is, for us, the hope that as Adam Hamilton puts it, “the last thing is never the worst thing” when we put our faith in Jesus. The last thing is resting eternally in the light of God’s love. The catch, however, is that the hope of eternity hinges on us living into the hope of today.