How long, O Lord

 It's about time - or is it about timing? When will Christ return? When will the kingdom come? “How long, O Lord? When will we see the end of this trying time - and the beginning of our deliverance? We turn to Scripture for answers, and - the truth is - that’s not what Scripture is for. This urge to use the Scripture as some sort of crystal ball; to turn to the prophetic and often provocative words of Jesus as the perfect, cosmic spoiler alert…it’s a very tempting trap to fall in to

 Now don’t misunderstand me - I think you could do worse than try to live your lives according to the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth; what I’m talking about is the misrepresentation of Jesus that pretends that all of Scripture is somehow both an accurate (and total) representation of human history (it’s NOT), AND a step by step revelation of the future of humankind (it’s not that either.)

What Scripture IS has been under debate for as long as we’ve been reading it - and what it is to this poor preacher is a cautionary tale.

Yes, we can find here an historical reference to people’s attitudes toward and experiences of the Divine. Tribal history (often wildly embellished) gives way to songs of praise and lamentation - and then there are the ‘prophetic’ voices…of which Daniel seems to be one.

Daniel - whom most of us only know from the fiery furnace or the lion’s den - is described as a faithful stranger in a strange land. He is assigned a foreign name, but honours the Hebrew God…and so is given visions and visitations that offer him something like a glimpse into the mind of God…almost.

We are introduced to Daniel as an interpreter of royal dreams - echoes of Joseph in Egypt - but in the second half of the book, we learn that Daniel himself is prone to dreams. These visions seem to offer hope to a people long enslaved, and when he can bear it no longer, the question is proposed: “How long shall it be until the end of these wonders?” 

Now, if these Holy Books were the magical documents we often pretend that they are, the answer to Daniel would lay out a plan that we could live by…and of course, it does - but not in the way we would like. ‘ I heard but could not understand (Daniel relates); so I said, “My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. 

Go. Your. Way.Go to the end and rest. There’s something coming at the end of a span of time, but you, Daniel, should just relax - let it happen - the future is not given to be understood. You should be concerned with the present.

What the Scriptures reveal is that God’s presence in the ‘here-and-now’ is what matters. Advice on boat building was given to Noah in the present tense. Abraham is asked to ‘get up and go!’ Issac runs into one obstacle after another - surely God might have given him a heads-up? - but instead, these and many other ‘heroes of the faith’ are given just what is needed for the moment. Sure, there are promises offered and covenants made - they are assured that they are in the hands of Eternal Faithfulness - but a clear road map? Never.

Jesus is challenged by his disciples for some ‘insider information,’ but he can’t help. In other instances he is more direct: know one knows, not even the son, but only God knows the timing of what’s in store. Jesus encourages observation - and engagement. When you see…then you will know - but this is just the beginning.

Don’t be misled by those who claim to know - by those who say “I am he.” When you hear of wars and rumours of war, don’t be afraid - these things happen. When the going gets tough…keep going. The suggestion here is that Jesus’ followers will have knowledge and courage enough for whatever happens. The present is what matters. Be aware.

We are guilty of being too ‘future-minded.’ When the church, or the government, or your financial planner, or your life partner promises ‘things will get better,’ we begin to imagine what that better will be like. We pray harder, or campaign for certain projects; we alter our investment strategy; we buy flowers and plan date nights -all so we can bring the future to life quicker. But the future doesn’t help smooth our the present path. 

Promises are great, but practically speaking, we are where we are, and it would be better if we acknowledged this place - this circumstance - this crisis - this argument - before we congratulate ourselves on the future we have imagined.

The climate changes - the economy trembles - humanity continues to find new ways to impose suffering - the church pines for an imaginary past (remember when Christianity) and longs for a future that is (according to Scripture) shrouded in hopeful mystery. The present is where we are. The present is all that matters.

In this part of Mark’s gospel, Jesus is recorded as saying “don’t worry about what you will say [in the future - when persecutions and problems arise] for the Spirit will guide you. The gift that God has given the church (and the world) is not the step-by-step plan that will take us to the end of time and launch the righteous kingdom on earth - the gift we have is the PRESENCE of the Spirit that helps us navigate the PRESENT.

The birth pangs that Jesus pointed out to his disciples are with us even now. Trials, tribulations, war and rumour of war, uncertainty, chaos, division and intrigue. This is where we are. And God is right here with us.

What that means is still to be determined. Will we exploit the gift of God’s presence as a weapon to be used against the sceptic, or will we embrace God’s presence as a life boat in a stormy sea? Those are two choices out of many, but even so, there are people in need, there are hurts to be acknowledged, there is the work of compassion and collaboration to be done. 

 The work is real - and it is work that Jesus invites us to do. Will you wait for the future to reveal its secrets, or will you follow Jesus in the here and now?