Pascha V

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 14:21–27; Psalm 145; Revelation 21:1–5a; John 13:31 33a, 34–35

Our story opens with an act of wondrous imagination and inspiration.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” [Genesis 1:1]

And the Book of Revelation brings that story full circle.

“I, John, saw a new heavens and a new earth.” [Revelation 21:1]

Paul reminds us, “whoever is in Christ is a new creation…” [2 Corinthians 5:17] While the Church declares to the newly baptized that through the life–giving waters they “have become a new creation, and have clothed [themselves] in Christ.” “And all this,” Paul proclaims, “is from God.”

This story of new burgeoning life is not the story we are told every day through the media, is it?

We are daily assailed by competing stories trying to define who we are to be and where our futures are to be made. From the values imaged on sitcoms and in advertising to loud, pontificating “talking heads” on entertainment news to the ceaseless alerts from news feeds to gain our attention on phones. Each offering us their version of…would you call it hope[?]

The Book of Revelation and Paul’s letters declare that these stories have no power.  

“The former heaven and the former earth had passed away.” [Revelation 21:1] Thus a new creative act.

“The old order has passed away” [Revelation 21:4] seen in God wiping away every tear from our eyes. “The old things have passed away…” because “new things have come." [2 Corinthians 5:17]

Difficult to believe? Possibly. Because it seems like the old order is alive and well and stronger than ever as we are seeing the multi–headed dragon of war, oppression, famine, hate, disease, tribalism, absolutism, genocide, and division rise before us.

As Christians we must learn to listen with discernment among these competing stories and visions of the future being offered us. Recall last week’s Gospel. Are we attune to the voice of our shepherd? With Pilate’s perplexing question, “what is truth?” continually prodding us, where is truth among these competing stories? And even when faced with truth, many people today refuse to believe and embrace it. Jesus’ declaration that He is Truth, is simply one more voice among many.

Whom do you believe? What voice resonates in your soul and heart? And more importantly, why do you believe the voices and stories you listen to? Because we are all too aware of the prevalence of the old order of death and mourning, crying and pain.

How many of us yearn for that time when death and mourning, crying and pain will be no more?

Ukrainians do. The families and friends of the 15 million people who have died worldwide from COVID do. Yemenis do. People whose friends and family have died due to the opioid crisis to.

Syrians do. Those who are suffering the life effects of abuse do. First Peoples around the world do. Peoples who have experienced racism do. Uighurs, Jews, Christians, Yazidis and others being persecuted for their faith do.

And at some point in each of our lives, do we not all encounter and experience the old order of death and mourning, crying and pain?

Yet which of the stories and visions offered us give us hope and spur us forward?

The prophet Isaiah instructs us to forget the past. Why? “See, I [God] am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” [Isaiah 43:19] We Christians need to be a perceptive people. We need to see through historical movements so as to be a catalyst to form history rather than be formed by history. Thus Revelation proclaims that the dwelling place of God is in the midst of the human race.

Where do you and I see new acts of God graciousness and creativity today, this new heavens and new earth? It’s there in our midst. Isaiah challenges us to perceive God’s movements.

Today our Christian story is just one voice among many. It is being shunted aside not only by societies that formally accepted it as their foundation story but by believers as well. The Christian story is no longer the prevalent overarching guide for people lives or accepted as a vision of where human history is to culminate in the God who is called Omega, the culmination and completion of all things.

Yet consider what our story offers.

It offers us an image of God who, like a parent, gently wipes away every tear from our eyes and bandages the cut knee.

It is the same God who, despite feelings of great disappointment, clothe Adam and Eve with garments before they leave the garden, or for college, or a move away from the home.

It is the same God who delivered Israel from slavery, as well as an addiction, a county jail, a damaging relationship.

It is the same God who fed grumbling Israel in the desert with manna, water and quail, screaming and kicking like an adolescent challenging all authority.

It is the same God who washed the feet of disciples who never really understood what God was doing for them, or assisting an elderly parent into a bath, a stroke patient with a walker, or a veteran in a wheelchair.

It is the same God who died for us in Jesus Christ and is present as we bury our dead.

It is the story of a God who is in the midst of our deaths and mourning, our crying out and pain.

I once read that the pain and suffering the world closes its eyes to keep out is the same suffering and pain that the closed eyes of Jesus on the cross embrace. This is not a story the media or any contemporary philosophy will tell us. They regurgitate the stories of an old order over and over again. Our God invites us to a vision where all things are new.

In what story do you find hope?

“In the beginning God created…in the present God created and “I saw a new heavens and a new earth.” [Revelation 21:1]