Apocalypse vs Christian Century
It never surprises me how much I and most other pastors or theology nerds speak in the language of “certainty“ about subjects wrapped up in mystery from ancient to current times.
One pastor declares that at death our personal eternal destiny is a done deal. If true that would sadly mean that the love and atoning work of the Trinity of God in Jesus of Nazareth was subject to the limits of time and space, but hey—at least we get our brief shot under the sun, right? …though, not the Son.
What prompts today’s blog is a question from a pastor in my own Wesleyan faith tradition regarding all the pessimism inside the American Evangelical Church (including our Naz) types that essentially say the world is going to hell in a hand-basket and worse it’s God’s wrath poured out for all the tragic human suffering resulting from human arrogance, selfishness, power-centric sex; you name it. Why it never dawns on us who attempt, however poorly, to follow Jesus that such a view of God’s judgment is like a tornado hitting a town that just lost 1/3 of its population to a terrorist incident, I will never know.
Underlying such a pessimistic view of end times is the idea that the real purpose of our time on Terra Forma is to see who is in Christ, good to go… and get beyond this rock, 3rd from its sun, tucked in the Milkyway Galaxy and enter heaven.
The reason for the question is that Wesleyan faith traditions are historically more hopeful, believing in the possibility that humans can be so transformed that we are capable of loving God first, as no other and our neighbors as ourselves and that salvation is about restoration, healing and cleansing—and not a legal remedy to a deserved jail cell for eternity.
The difficulty I find in the analysis of world events, lining them up as if in relation to an ultimate apocalypse is scripture when understood as narrative. (Please know I grew up in a home where “The Great Late Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsay was gospel. At twelve I was keenly aware that the Soviet Union (Megog) was forming alliances in the Middle East with the very nations God’s prophets had aligned for Armageddon.) And yet my first public sermon also at 12, was on the question of: Given St John‘s descriptive that Perfect Love Casts out Fear, Why are We so afraid? Hence the tension in me that personifies the question: Why are we so Afraid”?
The idea of “individual,” personal salvation of a few from within the historic narrative would have been anathema to early Christians as their worldview was communal, tribal and all were looking forward to the “day of the Lord” or the “renewal of all things” for all peoples; when God restored the earth to its innocence. The very idea that salvation would mean a rapture and a few million or billion individuals saved while the rest rotted in hell is no salvation at all but a collapse of Divine Purpose in history… history is going no where, spiraling down to failure.
Jesus coming was a new Kingdom breaking in challenging the salvational justification of every empire from Sumar thru Rome who came to bring that same hope of wellness and peace via power.
From Noah’s reset, to Abrams nomadic call to Israel’s birth from Egypt with a renewed sense of humanity, beginning for slaves in Sabbath rest, to the Davidic Kingdom, collapse, exile and emergent prophetic hope in a Jerusalem without walls for all nations including Israel’s enemies and a renewal of Sodom and Samaria (Ezekiel 16) as daughters of Israel, the Biblical narrative has always been the salvation of all human history if only a remanent would live inside God’s reign of love and so bless the world…
That is the Biblical message, I would contend, not withstanding God’s human partners, including the Church, keeps missing it.. as our individualist Protestant gospel has in the last 200 years—the Wesleyan (even American revivalist) tradition was among the 1st Protesting traditions to recapture the hope of a “Christian Century” of God’s Kingdom filling the earth till it hit the 20th century and all the events of pain, including: WWI, The Great Depression, WWII, Nazi Holocaust, Soviet Russia, Communist China, Pol Pot to name a few—each killing millions in their wake. Thus, the Biblical narrative is meaningless for the vast majority of earths evangelical communities and individuals within because we are like fruit picked at harvest—a miserable outcome. I do not know how heaven can be heaven if most humans squalor in hell.
In contrast, the Reign of Love keeps showing up both within and beyond Christendom—Martin Luther King and Ghandi two notable examples. It is not difficult to see inter-personal signs of Christ’s presence within urban America. The Sermon on the Mount remains the only articulated hope of a renewed earth, if only we who cherish the message would live into it—as an arch-type of renewed human relations, including:
—Intro: (Matthew 5: 1-12)
An upside down view of blessed communities in which Jesus thrives; Impoverished in Spirit, Comforting, Reverential, Justice Centric, Accepting, Merciful, Seeking only to please God, Love Peace, Befriend the vulnerable and love enemies.
—Mission (Matthew 5: 13-16)
To preserve life, flavor the mundane with eternal perspectives and shine a light of God’s love on all, baptising into this way those who would follow.
—Relations: (Matthew 5: 17-47)
Be faithful to the covenant by fulfilling in relationships, God likeness in charcter and heart by: replacing anger with reverence for all, seeking peace and ending conflict. Let your marriage be a sign of God’s faithful love, your word the same. Forgive every one who wrongs you, loving enemies as you would good friends.
—Why: To be like our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:48)
—Piety: (Matthew 6: 1-13)
Make sure you do the right thing for the right reason gifting those in need without drawing attention. Always know you are loved and heard by your Heavenly Father and so mark your prayers by acknowledging God’s goodness, asking that God’s kingdom would fill the earth as it fills heaven. Give thanks for sufficient food, forgiveness for sin as you also forgive those who sin against you. Finally pray that temptations to which you are vulnerable be kept far from you.
—Final Emotive Instruction: (Matthew 6: 14-34 & 7: 6, 24-27)
1) Alays forgive.
2) Keep your thoughts focused on personhood, not sexual exploitation.
3) Love God with how you spend money.
4) Live fully into each day without worrying.
5) Don't judge.
In all these ways you will make God real, building human institutions that will last and raise people up—even when the apocalyptic storms press in.
—The Promise: (Matthew 7: 7-12)
Remember, you are not alone. God will partner with you so seek God’s Kingdom, knock down unjust systems and ask God for everything, remembering God is love, love alone.
Last thoughts:
“Reverence” is key. Movements such as Black Lives Matter will either rise as sacramental signs of Gods love or be captured by those who see power as the answer. The very turmoil in the Middle East calls for a people equally committed to Israel and Palestine, Pakistan and India. The America evangelical Church remains polarized by the right/left cultural and political tensions of the West to be a reverence making sacramental presence.
So, to answer the original question. Yes, Naz pastors and congregants who are pessimistic about apocalyptic outcomes are in fact pervasive in the American Naz Church, but as such, are not faithful to the Wesleyan hopefulness that played such 18th and 19th century roles of social and spiritual reform.
It was about two decades ago when it first dawned on me that my primary mission was not evangelism among those with little or no faith but in faith communities themselves; calling we who are Christian to repent of our self-serving, privileged gospel and love the world as God does.
Blessing! Terry:)
For more read my book:
https://www.amazon.com/Holiness-21st-Century-Political-Engaging/dp/1980391092/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Te
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