Oh how we love to focus on our own destruction. We despair over our misfortunes, and blame them on a combination of God's wrath and our own sinfulness. We assume we are desperately sinful creatures, critically in need of salvation to prevent a just punishment from befalling us. What crap! Once again, our arrogance gets the better of us. Whatever calamities we experience are part of a grander process of life in the universe. We are just a bit player in that drama, not the central focus. Yes, we are an important figure on the canvas, but it is not all about us.
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
I say that these words stand true today. Every moment is the fulfillment of a plan set into motion at the beginning of time. Our Parent delights in creating grand and beautiful expressions of the love that animates them. Our lives are just one small, but glorious, part in this tapestry. This "kingdom" is not utopia in the way we fantasize; it is life itself. There is a wonder to this existence, every last moment of it, that will overwhelm you, if you allow yourself to see. For too long we have let ourselves be blinded by sin and devotion. We are like a child who craves attention, and so goes to extremes of flagellation or hedonism to get it. It is time to grow up, find our place within the family of life, and let ourselves be content with that position. This is the only salvation that we need and the only salvation worth craving. We are beings of love, created by Love itself, to celebrate a universe of love. That is "good news" worth believing in. So hear me now: This is the time of something wonderful. The glory of God surrounds us. Be at peace, and believe in the truth of love.