The 3rd Week of Advent, 2021: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Luke 3:7-18
What is it like to see or experience God’s salvation? Do any fantasy movies, fiction novels, angelic music or songs come to mind? Or maybe even the final book of the New Testament? (Revelation 21:1-8) How about the seventh day of God’s creation in the first book of the Old Testament: restful and peaceful? (Genesis 1:29-31)
There is a well known Chinese motto, “苦盡甘來”, which literally means, bitterness precedes sweetness. It can be translated in many ways, such as: rewards precede hardship; celebration is the fruit of labor; a hard start leads to a good ending; no pain no gain. Though I am curious, “Does bitterness, suffering, hardship, or labor have to be part of a fruitful journey?” What are your thoughts on this?
Last summer when our daughter visited us, we took her to hike Mount Teneriffe via Teneriffe Falls and Kamikaze trails. My husband and I actually already hiked these trails twice but never had the good luck of having a clear view at the top. The first time we did not make it because the snow was too deep around the summit area, and we did not want to take risks with regret. The second time we made it to the top but it was too foggy and cloudy. However, we were not the only disappointed ones sitting on the top of the mountain. One hiker sitting next to us told us that the view in good weather is the best in his opinion. Because of his opinion, we took our daughter to hike again. We got to the top but couldn’t see anything because of the thick fog that blanketed everything. Plus, there were many tiny flies attacking us while we took out our lunch. They bite! Hard to believe, right! We finished our lunch speedily and ran away from the summit. Kamikaze trail was the first hard trail our daughter hiked but without a reward for the mountaintop views. Is this hike worth it or not? If I hadn’t shared the potential view with her, it would have certainly been worth it. This hike certainly fell short of our expectations. Nonetheless, we as a family did spend good quality time together on that day, laughing and chatting. It was good. We were content.
What is God’s salvation like? Knowing the definition of the word salvation, the meanings of Christmas, Crucifixion, and Resurrection, and believing the free will all humans might possess eternally, I imagine that we can love one another well. Our forgiveness finally resembles God’s forgiveness. Wherever we go, we see that justice suppresses inequality, and mercy overpowers anguish.
That is how I imagine the fulfillment of God’s salvation to be. It is hard to imagine that anyone would reject such a breathtaking gift from God, to live with God and be saturated by God’s salvation. Yes, God’s salvation is here already and has not fully fulfilled yet. Each of us is invited to be content for God is in our midst, rejoices over you and me with gladness, and renews all in His love. (Zephaniah 3:17) Amen.
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