Rising with Christ

 

Daniel 12:1-4

Do you feel the world is broken? If someone sang that in worship, your next response would probably be: We do. That's the opening line to Andrew Peterson's "Is He Worthy?" In that song, not only do worshippers acknowledge the brokenness of the world, we admit the shadows deepen around us as well. Why would that be a song of praise? Because it leads to a confident assurance that Christ is worthy. But it begins with the unquestionable distress of the world. Many Christians find that a strange place to begin our praise of God. We should always start with God's goodness, some would say. Yes, the goodness of God is a worthy starting point. But praise isn't only saying nice things about God. When we face the world's brokenness--the hurt, the injustice, the suffering--our hearts begin to hunger more for God's goodness, to cry out for it and to work for it. How can we fully know the power of God's goodness until we've reckoned with the depth of the world's pain? More of our liturgy and music should help us recognize those realities. Lord, forgive us when we turn blind eyes to the pain and cruelty so many in the world face today. As the body of Christ, our faith in Jesus, then, is not only an affirmation we sing. It's a part of the hope we carry to the world around us. It's a message for us to celebrate and to share. But our message isn't only a word or a heavenly memo. Our faith in the power of Jesus' resurrection draws from our experience with that power in our lives. As such, we talk and walk as resurrection people. In the vision of Daniel 12, there is a protector of the people. He has, presumably, walked with the people and will continue to battle for them. In the coming anguish, the protector will protect. Those who rise with this figure will "shine like the brightness of the sky." Today, Christ is our protector. Amidst the evil of the world, Christ raises us to new life and to pursue life in his name. We face the brokenness of the world with confidence in what God can do and what we pray God will do. And to trust in who God is, is to see how good God is.  Stay blessed...john