| Monday, November 30, 2009
Luke 21:25-36 25“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Justice and Righteousness appear in many guises. Here we are faced with an image of Jesus on a cloud with Power and Glory [a reference to Moses and Elijah from Mt. Transfiguration?]. Imagine one who appears with energy to do something about which one has a perspective. Even though the Greek has these both to be feminine nouns, we might yet translate “Power and Glory” as Justice and Righteousness. Too often this cloud scene is that of a remote judge and executioner come to impose a final solution upon sinners and the afflicted. Can you here envision a new-born, a re-born, that empowers and clarifies creation and choices? If so, we can stop moping around, feeling helpless, and stand and look about us with a clear eye and energy to pick a direction that is hope-supported to live on earth as though heaven had arrived. Imagine again - a community gathered around a baby swaddled rather than an individual enrobed. It is the possibility of energetic renewal that offers again strength to out-wait the dissipation and despair trap of being too fearful to stand and look and choose. The image we attend to makes all the difference. The cloud image shifts from harvest judgment to profligate abundance twice to a hundred times more than we began with. It turns out the rider of the cloud arrives with fertilizer, not a scythe. A question now is how much justice (acts of mercy - ethics) and righteousness (acts of piety - devotion) our roots will gather for our common health and commonwealth, how high we will raise our head, how tasty and nutritious we will become. What are the words of life if not Justice and Righteousness, Steadfast Love and Faithfulness, Blamelessness and Holiness, Peace and Security, Fig Leaf and Summer. |
