At the beginning of the Church Year, we are afforded opportunity for reflection and renewal. Within the community of believers I have privilege to serve, Advent Season is a time for endings AND new beginnings. We have learned together that ending well is the better way to begin anew. Yes, there are times to make, as they say, “a clean break” or “have closure”, but those ignore both grief and memory which can become helpful and healthy responses.
Sure, we can just break into the future with passion and energy. Yes, we can bless the past and move on. Both methods of forward progress in a new year unfortunately ignore the fact that everything is connected – forever. You can unfriend on FaceBook. You even change your name or move to far away places. You can train your mind to block out bad with good. In actual reality, your connection to creator time-space is eternal, forever.
OK, this time-space is way too ‘heady’ for me to wrap my hands around. Let’s go with the basics. Genesis – God created and ordered – everything. Eternal linkages were formed and exist – with everything – everyone, since the beginning. This is really mind-blowing to think about, but very real. SO…because of timeless creator-creation linkages, our ‘ending well’ in all relationships becomes a primary act of reconciliation.
For instance, simple words from Jesus describes how to end well and effectively reconcile with God and one another. Jesus says: I will not leave you alone, I will come to you (John 14:18). I will be with you always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid (Matthew 14:27). Peace, I leave with you (John 14:27). I am coming back (John 14:3).
I know that taking snippets from highly contextual conversations is routinely frowned upon by scholars. Yet, these words are His – they are purposefully spoken as promise statements – vows. Jesus speaks and our entire future and eternal hopes come alive because its creator-creation dialog.
There is a reason Jesus speaks these particular words and I believe one reason is because He knows we are not good at ending well. We are not good at waiting or coping with last words or sunsets. Yes, sunsets, one of the most glorious of heavenly spectacles, can be all-at-once peaceful, suspenseful and sorrowful endings.
We attempt to reason through the end of things because they are notoriously guilt-ridden and anxious. We over-think how a frantic day ends, resent a moment that interrupts us, sob after a person takes their last breath, sabotage a relationship by lying, or simply bite into the last cherry cordial in the box. Our minds go into denial and turn us to the next best thing or we try to both ignore and recreate that which is now gone. When, in reality, endings ARE connected – they are simultaneously past, present, and future in one moment.
I am still working on accepting that endings are simultaneously beginnings informed by the past and energized by future promise. Its difficult, I know. Let’s face it, we really desire, at least a vote or a voice in how things end. In reality, we get neither. We try our best at delaying death with pills, we remain in abusive relationships, and deny our finite human existence living like theres no tomorrow.
Rather, God reaches into our lives to maintain life – eternally – through His Son Jesus is the best and most gracious outcome for all creation. In the end, all will be as it should be – He will come, we will feast together, and live in a place uniquely prepared for us (Revelation 22).
In the meantime, engaging God’s grace and ending well becomes another tied-off (no frayed ends), thread of our lives within the grand tapestry of salvation history.
Ending well allows us to dialog with our past right in front of our future. No secrets, no regrets, and no grudges – only grace and forgiveness because that’s how Jesus ended well with us; despite us hanging him on a tree.
Ending well embraces the never-ending love of God. It embodies creator and creation, strengthening the already strong linkages.
Where you are right now – this moment – please know that God is with you. Jesus has redeemed you. The Holy Spirit is leading you. Tie off those frayed ends, God needs you. Now step boldly into the new year as you begin to weave another thread of your life into the tapestry of salvation history.
To God alone be all glory and honor as we prepare the way for Jesus.
gracexchange 