Bad news

 

Revelation 17:1-18

"Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age." I haven't found the context for that quote from Colin Powell. But bad news is bad news. So, I can appreciate what his quote means. We can even apply it to scripture today. First, let me confess. I don't always look forward to writing a reflection on anything from Revelation. Do I have to describe beasts and battles again? But, today, a little apocalyptic literature might be good for the soul. In our reading today, guess what, there's a beast. It has seven heads. There's also, though, a woman John sees. His vision is of a woman "clothed in purple scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls" (Revelation 17:4). In other words, she has it all. This is, of course, no ordinary woman. Most likely, the woman, labeled the "great whore," represents Babylon and her religious practices. John sees her "drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus" (17:6). And this surprised John. He was "greatly amazed." To be sure, if the empire is after you, that's bad news. Where do you go to escape? How do you outrun this woman? Well, here's more bad news; you might not be able to. That's why the revelation of Revelation is so important. To those who stand astonished at the brutality of world systems, Jesus still reigns. Christ will make all things new. I remember a title of an old gospel song: The good news is the bad news was wrong. Even so, the bad news of persecution is real. Please don't think these systems are not here today. Bad news is still around. But these systems, this woman won't be around forever. And so, we keep our faith in the One who reigns. We work with him to restore peace in the world of bad news. Stay blessed...john