Pragmatic Eschatology

One of the most complicated, convoluted, and therefore uninteresting parts of Theology is Eschatology (the study of the End Times or better phrased "Last Things")

And I will not pretend to decipher the symbols, numbers, and meanings of the apocalyptic writings of Daniel or Revelation.

But just because the details are perplexing does not mean that Eschatology is unimportant or a subject matter we are unaffected by.

The aspects of Eschatology I am most interested in are the actual "Last Things," where everything is going, how the story ends. Because if we look at the broad picture we find some intriguing details. The story arc of the Bible is from Paradise to Paradise. And it is a story of redemption. God made Creation "good", we messed it us, and ever since Genesis chapter 3 God's work has been a work of making "all things new" (Rev 21:5).

Revelation ends with the New Heaven and New Earth (Rev 21:1). Not only that but we see Heaven fully invading Earth (Rev 21:2) which fits with the Eschatology of the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. God is making all things new. For a wonderful depiction I suggest the description of the "Old Narnia" and "Real Narnia" at the end of the chapter "Further Up and Further In" of The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis.

So we know how things end; God makes all things new and perfect.

Selah

And that makes all the difference. Because God's ultimate vision, how things finally end up, defines everything. What we implicitly believe about the "Last Things" dictates and influences how we live now. Understanding where we are going clarifies where we are now like a compass pointing North.

The temptation can be to live like our objective is to be "saved" enough to go to Heaven when we die, but without the need to engage the world around us while we are here. It has been described as "being too heavenly minded to be any earthly good", and that is a horrible and counter-Christ paradigm. Jesus did not come to draw us out and isolate "Christians" from the world, but He came to be Emmanuel, "God with us" (Mt 1:22-23), and to engage this world. We are called not to be elitists in the world, but "light of the world" (Mt 5:14-16). If we believe that God is redeeming Creation, making all things new, then we have been invited to be a part of that process of renewal (2 Cor 5:17-21). God came back for each of us, but that does not mean we can be content to let His redemption stop with us.

Instead of being "too Heavenly minded to be any earthly good" we have to be Heavenly minded (truly and Eschatologically Heavenly minded) to be any earthly good.

So may you be guided North by God's awesome work of redemption into the "Last Things"

How glorious it will be to finally go home.

Selah

A convicting litmus test

One of the most troubling and challenging quotes I have read, an idea that gnawed at me (for my benefit) and from time to time haunts me still(again for my benefit) is a quote from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity

This excerpt comes from the chapter titled "The Great Sin" and the discussion of pride:

"the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others" (p. 121)

"if you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, 'How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronise me, or show off?" (p. 122)

It is very easy for me, and my pride, to assure myself that I am a humble enough person. But a time when pride can be uncovered, when it cannot help keep itself concealed in our hearts and minds is when it comes into conflict with another's pride. Our pride is no longer hidden, it is rearing its ugly head, but often we are too enthralled with the desires of our pride to take a step back and see our pride for what it is.

The test is to see how much I am bothered by others' pride. If I am bothered by another's selfishness I can safely say it is because of my own. While it is possible to dislike pride out of righteousness, for me to credit that as my reason would simply be yet another expression of my pride. No, I am better off to note how often and how much other's pride bothers me, and use that as a gauge of my own pride. Most of the time I get ruffled by another's selfishness it's not because the situation actually warrants such feelings, but that my pride feels threatened.

I encourage you to take note of when and where you find yourself bothered by pride, and to evaluate your reasoning. You may find it intriguing and humbling to discover how much our pride is alive and well within us.

As with all things the conviction of sin is not meant to be an end, for us to wallow in, but to spur us back to Jesus who has made a way and washes us clean. If you discover, as I have with myself, that your pride is far healthier than you imagined, do not despair, do not seek (out of human pride) to fix yourself, but instead turn to Jesus who is transforming and sanctifying his bride. Amen

Reflections from Starbucks: the right to customize my drink

Some of you may know that I like to pray at coffee shops whether Starbucks or some local cafe.

It always bothers me when someone gets upset because their iced macchiato latte mocha with 7 ice cubes, half a pump of hazelnut and 5/8 Splenda isn't perfect. But this problem goes beyond just coffee drinks.

C. S. Lewis sheds some light on this issue with a line from him book The Screwtape Letters. In this story the character of Screwtape, a veteran demon, is writing to his young nephew Wormwood instruction and insight into how to temp a man down the path to hell.

Screwtape states that "whatever men expect, they soon come to think they have a right to"

At Starbucks because they offer to customize drinks to the umpteenth degree how quickly we feel entitled to this. The reality is that customizing my drink is something Starbucks offers as a draw to get customers. It is not unreasonable to take them up on this offer. Customization adds work for the barista, but wages make up for that. But it doesn’t justify getting angry at the barista for making a mistake.

Screwtape’s words prove to be sadly true in other areas of life too. I continue to realize aspects of my life where I am at fault for this. For example, God's faithfulness. God is faithful, yet how many times are we guilty of feeling entitled for God to be faithful? Who am I to think that God would owe me anything? Similarly I do not deserve grace or mercy. Though I do not have to doubt in them, I constantly have to guard myself against any sense of entitlement. If it was deserved mercy would cease to be mercy.

Even in simpler situations this idea proves true. Practically anything I could get upset over is probably something I somehow feel I deserve. But I don't deserve to eat three meals today or to have a retirement. If my life were demanded from me tonight I could not protest it. Slowly I feel I am realizing this truth in my life, but as always I have a long way to go.