Thursday 09 February 2012

Background

The opening to Isaiah 60 stands in stark contrast to the previous chapter. We have moved from a place ofdarkness and despair, into a kingdom of light and glory. This is amagnificent thing, and a vision so stark given thecontext. 

God's glory - God's kingdom - shines in the darkness. A new dawn isbreaking where there is joy and hope, and prosperity andcompassion. God promises God's own people that the time ofreconciliation and redemption is coming. And this time of renewalwill be even bigger and brighter than their experience and theirexpectation (verse 17). 

Christians recognise that this moment of en-lightening comes withJesus. The new dawn of reconciliation and redemption is securedthrough Jesus' life, death and resurrection - and we are presentlyliving in the time of renewal, hope, grace and compassion of theearly era of God's kingdom. 

How often do we recognise that we are still part of this changing,reconciling, redemptive story, and that our challenge is tocontinue to work towards the full expression of the kingdom of God,even as we partially experience it today? Nouwen says:

"You are Christian only so long as you constantly pose criticalquestions to the society you live in, so long as you emphasise theneed of conversion both for yourself and for the world, so long asyou in no way let yourself become established in the situation ofthe world, so long as you stay unsatisfied with the status quo andkeep saying that a new world is yet to come. You are Christian onlywhen you believe you have a role to play in the realisation of thenew kingdom, and when you urge everyone you meet with holy unrestto make haste so that the promise might soon be fulfilled. So longas you live as a Christian you keep looking for a new order, a newstructure, a new life." 

As these latter chapters of Isaiah demonstrate, God does not leavepeople in despondency and despair, but instead listens to thepetitions of the people, and acts in abundance accordance withtheir needs. 

To Ponder

What does the kingdom of God look like foryou?

Where have you experienced the 'light' thatIsaiah describes in this passage?

What are you hoping for?