Readings:
Revelation 14: 14-19
Luke 21: 5-11
Reflection:
As you read this, many innocent people in the world will die. When the gospel of Luke was written, it was written in the context of the Roman Empire and the destruction of the Second Temple. The destruction and deaths were seen as a consequence of the people’s failure to accept Jesus. In hindsight, we can see that the Roman Army was not carrying out the work of God, but generations before us, and even some people today, saw wars, natural disasters and illnesses as God’s or god’s retribution.
What we know now is that God is probably not as interventionist as people once believed. The cosmos was created in love and with love and we were given the gift of free will. What have we done with these gifts? We have nation against nation, insurrections and persecutions. Humankind is responsible for plagues and famines because of greed for wealth and power causing environmental degradation. We seem hellbent on the destruction of ourselves and all of creation. Perhaps we are in the end times?
What we have is now. The opportunity to be part of the love we were created in and for. As we come to the end of the liturgical year, we contemplate these challenging readings living in the hope that we will return to the love we were made from.
Jesus Christ, Heart of the Universe
Alison Gore is a parishioner at St Paul of the Cross, Glen Osmond. She works in education and formation.