Good Company

Revelations 7:15-17
"For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
This Sunday we will gather around words that reverberate through time and space. The words are quoted regularly to comfort mortals...it is as if the company of saints is speaking directly to each of us, saying, "this is what it is like in eternity." The vision painted by the words is mystical...we see nothing like it as we move through daily life. Thrones, temples, a lamb on the throne which also shepherds us to living water...if I try to rationalize my way to some cognitive understanding of the meaning of the words my efforts are in vain.

Yet, as the words enfold my heart, comprehension at the deepest level begins to emerge. The words meet the deepest pain and hunger...that which can't be spoken. The cracked, parched tongue of my soul that thirsts for the moisture of God's presence is saturated in this single moment before God.

Life in this world can draw me away from the awareness of eternity's fullness. Preoccupation with what I am seeing, hearing and thinking with my human faculties can lead to a fixation upon worries or fluctuations that are temporary. This fixation becomes a prison if I ignore God's song that reverberates beneath the surface of all that I experience.

The good company of all of the saints who have gone before us constantly invites us to trust in the ultimate power of God to end all longing...all pain...all concerns of any kind. My heart understands the sensation of God's peace...my inner being knows the satisfaction of being fed and soothed in His presence. No more hunger...no more thirst...and the knowledge that His hand is meeting every tear that seeps from my eyes, wiping it away forever.

As we walk through the world we are affected by the environment which is filled with all sorts of political, social, and economic "news". We can (and must)wisely choose the degree to which they claim our attention. We are faced daily with the reality of our personal physical, emotional, and mental conditions...and the way those realities impact our relationships. For each one of us, things and circumstances are always changing...sometimes in positive ways...sometimes in negative ways. Wisdom emerges from the understanding that all things in this world CHANGE. Therefore the world has no ultimate claim on your being.

In the midst of change, you are invited to return to the underlying and everpresent promise offered by the "communion of saints" who are gathered around God's throne in this moment. They are reminding you of the promise that through Christ you will hunger no more, thirst no more, and rest in eternal comfort and peace.

Allow their message to define the climate of your inner being. May the peace of the Lord saturate your heart and mind! And may that peace direct you through each moment of every day.