Alex Swain

Beloved in Christ—

In today’s reading from Revelations we are gifted with a vision of the future of the universe at the fulfillment of all things. Christ shouts victoriously, “It is done!” hearkening back to His words as He died on the cross, no doubt, uttering that fateful “it is finished.”

I often see the future laid out at the End of Time in Revelations as a culmination of the Our Father prayer. It is where we no longer pleadingly petition “thy kingdom come,” but rather simply state as matter-of-fact, “thy kingdom has come!” And what a glorious time that will certainly be.

(On a tangential note, will there be time in eternity? Is eternity a singular moment forever in God’s presence, is it outside of time, is it… hm… perhaps these musings are best left to a philosopher or theologian, and not a guest writer for the Daily Bread!)

In the meantime, whilst we tarry on awaiting the eschaton, the world is hurting. And I suspect God expects each of us to get to work as His literal members in this world bringing about His Kingdom, acting as an answer to the petition “thy kingdom come.” We are to be repairers of the breach (Isaiah 58:12), and this is why I find myself so inspired and hope-filled by the ongoing work of our various outreach ministries and our Beloved in the Desert Episcopal Service Corps members.

Let us go forth, then, into the hurting world! Making known this Kingdom of God through humble service and loving kindness, that at the End of All Things we may say, “I, through God’s grace, helped construct this!”

Amen!

Alex Swain
Assistant for Community Life – Beloved in the Desert Episcopal Service Corps