You may be familiar with the old joke that goes like this: “The good news is that Jesus is coming again. The bad news is that he is coming today.”
From the time of Jesus, his followers have taken Jesus at his word when he promised to return. Many denominations profess this belief in the Creed that they say during every Sunday worship service.
If people were honest, most meet this belief with a mixture of expectation and apprehension, expecting Jesus’s return as a time of judgment preceded by a period of disruption and destruction. For over 2,000 years now, whenever major disruptions such as wars, natural devastations, plagues, lawlessness, and economic upheavals would inevitably occur, groups and individuals viewed these events as confirmation that we were in the final stages of the “End Times” and that Jesus’ return was imminent. Today, with the destructive, erratic weather the world is experiencing, the effects of ecological destruction and devastation, the brutal wars being waged, and major social institutions crumbling, many again are sure that Jesus is returning very soon and are making this the focus of their attention.
Are these current events to be understood as the foreshadowing of Jesus’ second coming? I certainly do not know. What I do know is that Jesus is present among us and that we don’t need to look very far to recognize his life-giving Spirit working within the people we come in contact with. The kindness, concern, generosity, and love displayed through the actions of so many assure me that Jesus is continuing his mission of revealing the face of God, and that he is doing this through us. I may misread the signs of the time or may misinterpret the scriptures (especially the Book of Revelations!) in understanding Jesus’ second coming, but sometimes I wonder if we, as the body of Christ, are the second coming. If we are, then we need to continue the work of Jesus, loving, forgiving, healing, accompanying, and welcoming all we encounter. In other words, being Jesus for others by continuing his work of sharing his love, forgiveness, and mercy. These, after all, are the building blocks of his kingdom.
-Terri Sersch
Second Coming. Your article got me thinkng of daily end times culminating with going to bed at night. Sometimes we resist other times we welcome the moment. Ilike to think that Jesus came to give us second chances. Each time we forgive and are forgiven Jesus comes again in our lives.
Beautiful Terri!
Terri, thanks so much for sharing your insight! A great reminder these last days of Advent!
Very wise words to reflect on this Advent season of waiting and watching! Thanks for opening our eyes and reminding us that Jesus is with us each and every day, in the good and the not so good around us.
Thank you for the timely reflection , Terri!