The Coming of the Kingdom

Today is Thanksgiving, a day when many gather around tables to celebrate family and to give thanks to God for the blessings of the past year. Yet it can be a difficult time for many, filled with unpleasant memories of past wrongs or painful reminders of isolation and loneliness. Holidays have a way of dredging up old feelings, no matter how much we anticipate the goodness of the day. Sometimes holidays are more than we can bear.

I know some people who ignore special occasions of all kinds—birthdays, weddings, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s. Hurt at some time in the past, they have convinced themselves that they are better off without the big hoopla of celebrations. They are essentially asleep to the possibilities of positive experiences with loved ones or even strangers. But cutting ourselves off from experiences and relationships is no way to live our lives. After all, this is real life.

Paul urges his friends in Rome, “Wake up!” Wake up to what? And why wake up now? These words call us to live in the light of Jesus’ teachings. And now is the time because we do not know exactly when salvation will come . . . because salvation is not something that we possess. Salvation is something that possesses us.

And, yes, being awake to this love and sharing this love with others means that we are putting our hearts on the line. Yet, there is salvation and power in this kind of vulnerability—the power of love to overcome all obstacles. It is the same power that quickens the coming of our Savior.