Wednesday, March 12, 2014

26

What else does Christ's death redeem?
Christ’s death is the beginning of the redemption and renewal of every part of fallen creation, as he powerfully directs all things for his own glory and creation’s good. (Colossians 1:19-20) (from here)

One day, living here in Chile, I will experience an earthquake - it's just about given. My building sways with the passing traffic and gentle tremors don't bother me, but I dread the big ones and I dread that earthquake even more. In Australia, my parents' house backs onto bush and, living there, bushfires are always a possible threat. But I am rich - the fire service puts out the fires on my parents' hill, and here my building is sturdy and withstood the last earthquake. I don't know what it is to live in places where broken nature might kill you.

It's even more than this - we live with smog and weariness and disease and ground that produces little. Even without your revelation, we might think the physical world cursed. Our world and our bodies are no longer our friend, though they keep much of their magnificent beauty. It's the stuff of a dark fairytale, but it is our reality. Somehow this was the fitting punishment for the darkness that we welcomed into our hearts. Ruined, deeply evil humanity could no longer live in a glad, whole land. And the land cries and we join it.

And it rejoices at the name of Jesus and it longs for the consummation of all he wrought on the cross.

Thank you God that one day all will be well, that life will be much like the life we know, but utterly changed. We will step into a strangely familiar yet wholly foreign place, in bodies we know and do not know, and feel more at home there than we ever imagined. Thank you that on the cross you fixed everything. Thank you for your love wrought in justice. Thank you and thank you. A million times thank you.

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