Thoughts for the Day

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth....and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God......and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:

'See, the home of God is among mortals,
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them,
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.'

Then he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty, I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, from New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The shining ones were standing in the distance, waiting to welcome him, as the river of blue water* began to swallow Christian up. They welcomed his friend Hopeful, but Christian was plagued by doubts and was unable to reach the other side. He'd kept going the whole of his journey, despite all the temptations, but now at the end he couldn't make it to the Celestial city!

Recognise the story? It's from 'Pilgrim's Progress' by John Bunyan. A few years ago we produced a dramatised version with local people. The end of the tale always reminds me of the words from Revelation, above. With the Heavenly City so close and the angels waiting to welcome him Christian loses his faith. It is Hopeful who reminds him of the promise made by Jesus to 'Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.'

* Oh, and the 'river of blue'? Well it was blue sheets held taut and raised and lowered to reflect billows of water as Christain disappeared from sight - very effective!

Wednesday 2nd December, follow up thoughts

Lord Jesus,
help is to remember
your promise of eternal life,
where death and crying and pain
will be no more.
Give us faith and banish doubt,
that we may live
as your children for ever.
Amen.