Faith and the end-times – July 21

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]; 1 Samuel 25:23-44; Acts 14:19-28; Mark 4:35-41

On Sunday after church, I went to the hospital to administer the consecrated bread and wine from Eucharist to a parishioner. While waiting for authorization to make a pastoral visit, several other people trickled into the waiting area. A couple came into the vestibule. The man and I exchanged pleasantries and then he said something that surprised me: “These sure are the last days…the end times are upon us.”

That phraseology is not in my vernacular. I did not know what to do with that statement and even now, I do not even recall how I responded. As I sit here remembering that encounter, I feel curious and have questions. I wish I had asked him more about that. About what in our time serve as signals to the end of days. And, how he lives differently because of the signs around him. And what he wants younger generations to know and understand. If this man is willing to proclaim that truth to a stranger in a hospital lobby, perhaps he has stories that are compelling and rousing, pointing to God’s movement in his life and the world. It is the sharing of those stories that helps strengthen us in hard times. It is the sharing of those tales of risk, loss, and adversity that help us rely more upon God’s guidance than our own human impulses. It is in sharing stories of faith that we can see God’s faithfulness, even when all is lost.

In Acts 14, the disciples are being persecuted. Paul has been stoned and dragged outside of the city Lystra. Jesus’ followers surround the beaten apostle and he got up again, though the attackers left him for dead. They moved on to the next hamlet to share the Good News. The writer of Acts gives us this detail: “There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’” (Acts 14:22) Through the disciples’ witness around the shores of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, churches were built up and strengthened. Those trying to follow Jesus were encouraged. In Luke 21:12-19, Jesus had warned his friends that suffering would be a precursor to the kingdom of God. This message was not far off the prophetic, apocalyptic messages in Daniel 11:32-35, in which violence and suffering would accompany the end-time.

Maybe as our eyes are opened through hardship, we realize what is really important and we can name where our convictions lie. We can say with blessed assurance that our hope rests upon God. Not everyone gets to that point, or stays there. There are so many who are downtrodden and have lost hope. So, keep sharing your stories of faith. Keep praying for those who feel left behind by God. And stay curious and connected with those around you.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What do you think of when you hear about the end-times? Does it feel like something real to you? How do you respond?

Daily Challenge

 If talking about the end-times makes you wriggle and writhe, sit in that discomfort. Journal for ten minutes about what comes up for you...what you know, what you don't know, why you push back against it. Then pray for God to be with you in the discomfort, guiding you to insights about what trusting God means in light of the end-times.