December 1, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

"So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:31)

Sometimes Jesus uses strong metaphors to communicate the kingdom of God. And when He talks about its coming, people grossly misunderstand His words and come up with an eschatology (the perception of how all things will wind up) of doom. According to such view, since sin prevails in the the world, it will steadily deteriorate and will experience one cataclysmic event after another until it implodes. This is dreadful and not at all good news of great joy. Salvation would then mean escaping and transferring to a better place.

The true gospel is that the King of the heavenly kingdom is coming and will save our damaged world, the same one God created to be our home and to be without end. We don't have to evacuate it. And since the restoration process has begun, it will increasingly be better rather than worse. This good news is proclaimed so that we can prepare by changing from our old destructive ways to the life-giving ways of this King and His kingdom. This is what Advent is all about.