Everything is not yet revealed, but the promise of transformation means we are called to practice humility…and gratitude. What would it look like if we celebrated Christmas as if we really expected to see Jesus again, and sooner than later?
Remember that the Heidelberg Catechism is divided into three sections—guilt (for our sin), grace (God’s gift of our salvation) and gratitude (lived out in service). Remember, too, the words of Mother Teresa when speaking about her organization in Kolkata, India, saying that they are not social workers…they are there doing the work of Christ because this is what God wants them to do. This is gratitude lived out in one’s life.
As many of us sat with family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving Day, we shared that for which we are grateful. I would expect that those “thankful” lists included family, friends, health, and probably thanks for things we have or what we have achieved.
The gratitude of which I write is somewhat different. Foundational to our lives as created by God is gratitude for who we are in Christ, a status we can claim by the grace of God. We are also grateful for who we will be—in God’s presence for all eternity. This is real Thanksgiving, gratitude for being called to be children of God, saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
We are also called in this in-between time to practice humility. Again, we don’t practice gratitude or humility for God’s good gifts. Look again at the order: guilt—grace—gratitude. Our salvation is something that comes to us from outside ourselves, from God, completely as gift. Therefore, we can only accept God’s grace in humility. We don’t deserve it. We can’t buy it. We can’t pray or fast or feed the poor enough to merit it. After all is said and done, our status as children of God is still 100% gift.
Someone has said that “humility is the ladder to divine understanding.” God knows what he is doing. We do not. By following Christ we can, over time, understand more about the ways of God. Of course, at the end we are still on the first rung of the ladder!
When Jesus returns, all this will be made clear and complete. While we wait, we wait in gratitude and in humility. We humbly acknowledge that God is meanwhile transforming creation, ourselves included. What little we can understand, we can know that Jesus is just outside our door...not “if” but “when.”
I read this Celtic prayer on a blog I like:
Christ with us sleeping, Christ with us waking, Christ with us watching, each day and each night. Save us, Lord, while we are awake, guard us while we are asleep; that, awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in his peace.
I would add the following:
May you watch for Christ.
May you watch with Christ.
And, may Christ watch over you. Amen.