Revelation 22:17-21. What does it mean to pray "Come, Lord Jesus" believing that Jesus is coming again? What does it mean to believe in "heaven"? For some, this is reassurance that everything works out in the end so we should just hang in there until that time. From this perspective, the work is to do everything possible to not get too messed up by the world until we can escape it all. But what if our belief in heaven is actually a reality to be received, embraced, even constructed right here - right now? What if the prayer for Jesus' second coming is a posture for welcoming his dominion and his reign right here in our midst? What if forever is now!?!
This way of seeing eternity, of believing in heaven, of praying for Jesus' return was crucial for the earliest Christians. When John writes his apocalypse, he is inviting those who believe in the return of Jesus to be fully in the world in two ways: (1) To be fully in the world as it is, and (2) To be fully in the world as it will be. This requires us to move between weeping and rejoicing - from brokenness to confession to full participation in the in-breaking reign of God. This requires us to spend our days re-imagining, co-creating and participating with God's desire to see the kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Come, Lord Jesus!
