Name:
Email:
Posted: November 28th, 2007 at 2:06am By: Rev. Rebecca Schlatter
As a kid, I was scared of a lot of different things. Along with the familiar fear of monsters under the bed, I was also scared my house would burn down, that I would get kidnapped on the way to school, and that the 1970s oil crisis (during my early childhood) would somehow become another Great Depression like the 1930s.
My many fears combined with a vivid imagination to make me quite sensitive to scary stories. Hearing or watching one, sometimes the intensity would become almost unbearable, and I would beg my parents (or whoever the storyteller was) to stop — and tell me how the story ended.
More often than not, the story ended well. Things would work themselves out; the good guys would prevail. Then, simply having confidence in a good ending allowed me to finish the story. Somehow, knowing that it ended well transformed the story into the exciting adventure it was meant to be, rather than simply a source of anxiety.
I wonder if some of the biblical writers could relate, especially the writers of what we call "apocalyptic" literature. Around this time in the church year, those of us in churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary (a three-year cycle of Scripture readings assigned for the day and church season) have been hearing from these apocalyptic writers about how the world's story ends.
In Greek, "apocalypse" means simply "revelation." In a way, these apocalyptic writers — such as the authors of Daniel, Revelation, and Mark 13 — are simply stopping the story to "reveal" to us how it all ends. As it turns out, the story ends as it began: with God. The "good guys" win. (Of course, in each book, the particular good guys are usually defined as the writer and his community.)
Sometimes the ending itself sounds rather frightening, with the foretelling of nation rising against nation, plagues, natural disasters, and the like. But if we believe these authors enough to be afraid for ourselves or others, then we should also believe them enough to be confident that even at the end of the story, God still ends up in charge — even if we can't fully understand how we'll get to that point or what will happen in the middle of the story. In the end, Love prevails.
With this confidence, life becomes the exciting adventure it was meant to be, rather than simply a series of dangerous pitfalls. Yes, there is pain involved. But with a big enough perspective — within the context of the whole creation from beginning to end — it becomes an option to see one's own pain as part of "things working themselves out" in the adventure of life.
In his song "Show the Way," singer-songwriter David Wilcox portrays creation as if it were a play — one in which it sometimes looks like the good guys are losing. "Look, if someone wrote a play just to glorify what's stronger than hate/Would they not arrange the stage to look as if the hero came too late?" And yet, when all is said and done, it turns out that Love has been in charge all along: "There is evil cast around us/But it's love that wrote the play."
Well, if a loving God is the author of the "play" that is my life, then I have good reason for confidence in a good ending. But I'm still sensitive to scary stories. At this time of year, hearing from the apocalyptic writers reminds me that I'm just one person among many generations who have staked their lives on God's story. And knowing that gives me faith that even now, in the middle of my story, I am never alone.
— — —
Rev. Rebecca Schlatter is an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Reno, Nevada. You can contact her at {email newhousesfromoldbricks@hotmail.com}newhousesfromoldbricks@hotmail.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Rebecca Schlatter.
Permalink
As a kid, I was scared of a lot of different things. Along with the familiar fear of monsters under the bed, I was also scared my house would burn down, that I would get kidnapped on the way to school, and that the 1970s oil crisis (during my early childhood) would somehow become another Great Depression like the 1930s.
My many fears combined with a vivid imagination to make me quite sensitive to scary stories. Hearing or watching one, sometimes the intensity would become almost unbearable, and I would beg my parents (or whoever the storyteller was) to stop — and tell me how the story ended.
More often than not, the story ended well. Things would work themselves out; the good guys would prevail. Then, simply having confidence in a good ending allowed me to finish the story. Somehow, knowing that it ended well transformed the story into the exciting adventure it was meant to be, rather than simply a source of anxiety.
I wonder if some of the biblical writers could relate, especially the writers of what we call "apocalyptic" literature. Around this time in the church year, those of us in churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary (a three-year cycle of Scripture readings assigned for the day and church season) have been hearing from these apocalyptic writers about how the world's story ends.
In Greek, "apocalypse" means simply "revelation." In a way, these apocalyptic writers — such as the authors of Daniel, Revelation, and Mark 13 — are simply stopping the story to "reveal" to us how it all ends. As it turns out, the story ends as it began: with God. The "good guys" win. (Of course, in each book, the particular good guys are usually defined as the writer and his community.)
Sometimes the ending itself sounds rather frightening, with the foretelling of nation rising against nation, plagues, natural disasters, and the like. But if we believe these authors enough to be afraid for ourselves or others, then we should also believe them enough to be confident that even at the end of the story, God still ends up in charge — even if we can't fully understand how we'll get to that point or what will happen in the middle of the story. In the end, Love prevails.
With this confidence, life becomes the exciting adventure it was meant to be, rather than simply a series of dangerous pitfalls. Yes, there is pain involved. But with a big enough perspective — within the context of the whole creation from beginning to end — it becomes an option to see one's own pain as part of "things working themselves out" in the adventure of life.
In his song "Show the Way," singer-songwriter David Wilcox portrays creation as if it were a play — one in which it sometimes looks like the good guys are losing. "Look, if someone wrote a play just to glorify what's stronger than hate/Would they not arrange the stage to look as if the hero came too late?" And yet, when all is said and done, it turns out that Love has been in charge all along: "There is evil cast around us/But it's love that wrote the play."
Well, if a loving God is the author of the "play" that is my life, then I have good reason for confidence in a good ending. But I'm still sensitive to scary stories. At this time of year, hearing from the apocalyptic writers reminds me that I'm just one person among many generations who have staked their lives on God's story. And knowing that gives me faith that even now, in the middle of my story, I am never alone.
— — —
Rev. Rebecca Schlatter is an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Reno, Nevada. You can contact her at {email newhousesfromoldbricks@hotmail.com}newhousesfromoldbricks@hotmail.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Rebecca Schlatter.
Permalink
Add your comments