The long time-interval

the yearning; Chicago 2006

‘Has any of you been compelled to live through a long time-interval between the consciousness of a desire and its fulfillment?’ - Brave New World


There is a growing conciousness of a desire in me. The mustard seed desire is also sprouting in others. Sarah from Kenya talked about it this week. She told me that her HIA friends who don't consider themselves Christ-followers feel the same hunger too and want to work for human rights and justice to help bring the fulfillment about. Another anonymous someone scratched into the wood of the desk I worked at, "¡Jesus, venga a Honduras!" This too became a growing ache of mine. "Jesus, come to Honduras!" I have never longed for redemption and the accompanying liberation from poverty so strongly as in Honduras. I heard creation groaning.

The "now but not yet" kingdom, Dr. Green says. It's here, but not all the way. Sometimes I have a hard time seeing the reign of Love at all.

Last night I read in Isaiah 25, "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain the LORD will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; the LORD will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; the LORD will remove the disgrace of the LORD's people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken."

I imagine God will be somewhat like my grandma, bustling around the kitchen preparing an elaborate curry dinner, excited to have her family there after so long. God will do all this for "all peoples." Isn't the promise beautiful that the death shroud will be destroyed? What rich imagery, a tender God wiping away all our tears. God is love.

Oh, I hope the promise is true. We are the greatest of fools, Paul says, if Christ did not rise from the dead and this hope is false...