- God created this world and called it good.
- Even though we sinned and there is brokenness, pain, and death in God' creation, God is on a mission to rescue the world.
- The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the launching of God's rescue of the world. Jesus' resurrection in the middle of history is the signpost of a future time when all of God's creation will experience complete healing and wholeness by a special act of God's grace. This will be a time when all righteousness will be fulfilled.
- In the meantime, the Holy Spirit empowers us (specifically the church) to continue to carry forth what God has already begun through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Whenever we cry out with the Psalmists during times of sadness and pain, it's important for us to remember all of the points above but especially #3. While #3 doesn't give us an easy answer as to why bad things happen, it does remind us that there will come a time when everything will be made right.
Unlike some religions/philosophies, Christianity embraces a linear view of history in which we are moving toward a future time when justice, righteousness, and love will one day fill all of God's creation the way it was always meant to be. If we ever doubt this to be true, which many of the Psalmists remind us that it is OK to do since life can be really difficult, it's important to hear from people like Mary who we will hear this Sunday for the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever." - Luke 1:46-47, 54-55
Mary proclaimed these words because she knew that the baby in her womb was going to be the means by which God would fulfill his covenant in reclaiming and rescuing the world. Mary knew that this was a significant part of God's salvation plan for the world to fulfill the covenant that had been made centuries earlier with Abraham and Israel.
The Christian faith offers this tremendous word of hope - A day is coming when sin and death will be defeated once and for all. This is at the heart of our Advent hope. This is the hope we can embrace especially upon hearing the news that a very courageous and faith filled woman has just passed away from cancer.
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