Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: 17 November 2024

Bamberg Apocalypse Angel with seven candlesticks

Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Taking care with Scripture

We need to be careful when our scriptures share with us stories concerning apparent future times of forthcoming tribulation and distress such we discover in this Sunday's two passages from Daniel 12 and Mark 13. Much mischief is done by those who leap upon these texts as some great prophecy of an end time, and of course if you troll through the social media, it is full of so called prophets ( usually self proclaimed) and visionaries telling us that the apocalypse is now! But we cannot and should not encourage such use scripture like that. For a start the context of both our readings does not suggest an imminent end, in fact scholars and exegetes will tell us that they refer to specific incidents, such as in Daniel's case, persecution and destruction at the hands of various hostile rulers like the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (d. 164 BCE) and in the case of Jesus, the destruction of the Temple. Understanding historical and theological context is important!

Yet behind the visions and predictions of these two readings, there are also deep spiritual truths, but what might they be?

A new creation

We need to acknowledge as a Christian people through the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, and with the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost, we have a new creation. This is the new world of the Kingdom, that is a new order of life, which has already begun under the rule of King Jesus. We, as members of the Body of Christ, are those called by Him and tasked with helping this new order grow, praying with the Spirit that we may help in renewing the face of the Earth! This is the real context of the words we have heard.

Though these words seem to have a clear description of a future happening, which will result in tribulation, after which the Son of Man will come in glory, we can also say that in a real sense this has already taken place at the Resurrection. The words of Jesus Mark shares with us, have at heart this meaning, namely that the destruction of the Temple locates the presence of the Holy One, not in a location, but in the person of Jesus the Christ, who will gather all peoples into a new people, a multi-national gathering that has no geographical boundary, nor is linked to any one nation. Yes, there will be the 'eschaton' , the end of time and human history, a final event in the divine plan and all creation will then be fully established. The 'parousia' is that second advent of Jesus at this moment of completion of the new beginning, but whilst we wait in 'joyful hope for the coming of our saviour', we are not to speculate:

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."(Mk 13:32)

The Kingdom has come and is growing

So what do we take with us from these readings, there is the poetic, artistic beauty and imagery of such descriptions, which gives us an imagery that can be used, but needs to be done with care. But as we have discovered behind it all is a far more powerful truth, that even though we cannot physically perceive the Kingdom at work, it is going on, it is a reminder that the power and love of the Divine One is at work for us all , and one day, we shall see and know it, and fully understand. But this requires from us a change of life, of changing old patterns of behaviour, of eschewing all that is evil and embracing the good. If this is done not only will we be sustained in the power and glory of Christ as Lord and Saviour, that despite all that may be difficult in our world and our lives, the consoling hope of Daniel will be ours as well;

'But those with insight shall shine brightly

like the splendour of the firmament,

And those who lead the many to justice

shall be like the stars* forever'. (Dn 13:3)

Lectio

from Simply Christian by NT Wright

"Made for spirituality, we wallow in introspection. Made for joy, we settle for pleasure. Made for justice, we clamour for vengeance. Made for relationship, we insist on our own way. Made for beauty, we are satisfied with sentiment. But new creation has already begun. The sun has begun to rise. Christians are called to leave behind, in the tomb of Jesus Christ, all that belongs to the brokenness and incompleteness of the present world ... That, quite simply, is what it means to be Christian: to follow Jesus Christ into the new world, God's new world, which he has thrown open before us."

Parousia, a poem by Christi Ortiz

Teach us not to detest our humanness,
our imperfection,
but allow it to beckon to You the Perfect One,
like a glove made for a Hand, the Hand of God.
Enable us to see our holes as Space for You,
space for Grace, emptiness for your fullness.
Teach us not to run from ourselves
but to run to You,
not to hide our shadow,
but open the door to let the Light in,
the Light of your Mercy and Grace
to take the place of our darkness.
Help us not to run from death,
but embrace it as a door to new Life.
Grant us the Peace not to fight against ourselves,
but instead to Surrender to You.
Grant us the Courage to face ourselves
so that we might see Your Face,
and that this Saving Glance might transform us
into You, for when You appear,
we become like You, for we see You as You are,
just as You see us as we are.
This parousia is ever Present, ever coming.
Our very earthly bodies become the temple of Your Spirit that lives and dwells with in us and thus carves us & builds us to enable more & more
of Your Presence within us,
to transform us into living stones,
living members of the One Body of Christ,
living works of art of the Beloved Creator
who is continually creating and recreating us.