St. Augustine, as I recall, was the one who wrote about the three comings of Christ. He came two thousand years ago, he will come again in glory, and he comes today. We enter the season in which we celebrate the first coming of Christ, and during Advent we express our longing for the third coming of Christ, but are we missing out on his “in between” coming?
Today’s Psalm excerpt addresses a visitation from God (Ps 96:10-13).
“Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. Before the Lord, for he comes…”
The Psalmist tells the heavens, the sea, the plains, and the trees to celebrate because “he comes.” Nature rejoices not because of something God in the past, nor because of a “someday” when he will send his Son to us in glory, but because “he comes.” We notice how the present tense is used.
Why does the Lord come?
“…he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.”
God did not create the earth and then abandon it. He remains involved in ruling the earth and establishing his justice. As we notice the turmoil that is erupting in our world, we wonder what kind of ruler God is. When he is going to turn things around and deal with the injustice that seems to be growing on our planet? The answer to this question is “today.” He comes today. He is establishing is rule today.
“He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity.”
Do we really believe that God has a plan for governing people with equity and straightening out the world? In the meantime do we have to just sit around and wait, like we do in a doctor’s office, for him to show up?
When we focus on Augustine’s “in between” coming, we realize that God comes to us today to establish his justice in our personal lives. Yes we hope that he solves the complicated problems in our families, brings about order in our society, and puts an end to violence our world soon. But what he is doing right now, in my life, to establish his reign there?
I can’t change the past or hurry the future, but I do have a say about the present. I can decide to turn to him and cooperate with his “rule” in my life today. I can ask the Holy Spirit to show me how better to surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of my life right now. Where is the disorder in my own life? What part of my life am I refusing to turn over to God? How can I better prepare myself to receive him when “he comes” to me today?
Let’s not forget that we have an ever-present counselor, teacher, advocate, and friend to help us deal with these questions, so we pray:
Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh upon me now. Lighten my burdens, awaken me to God’s presence, help me cooperate in letting God establish his order in my life.
“Remain faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
