now we see dimly, but then face to face!!!



This week, I went to class in person and on campus!! Oh, what a special thing that I took for granted for 13 years of my life. How fun it is to see campus used for its intended purpose!!! After my class, I took a celebratory lap around campus because I was giddy about the life bursting at the seams all over campus. I walked by the turtle pond and in front of the tower. I made a lap around the six-pack and took a couple moments of reflection and prayer in front of Parlin Hall. I strolled down Speedway and basked in the wonder of so many campus orgs lining the way and tabling. I walked down my favorite hidden path, from the COLA building to the stadium. I took in three different beautiful views of the tower. If I'm being honest, I almost teared up a few times. As I prayed for campus, I kept getting caught up in the wonder of people together milling around and getting lost and enjoying our beautiful campus.

Oh, how beautiful to see campus being used for its intended purpose! Oh, how sweet to see campus overflowing with life!

On my walk, I was reminded of a sermon I heard this summer. It focused on Romans 8:18-25 which talks about creation longing for the glory it has been promised. Romans 8 might be my favorite chapter in the Bible. It talks about victory over sin and no condemnation for it. It talks about how we are always within reach of our Father and how nothing can separate us from Him. It says we will suffer, but there is joy on the other side. 

In the middle of all this is a passage that I usually skip over. This passage- Romans 8:18-25-  is the passage that Pastor Brad focused on. Verse 18 seems to tie in but verses 19-25 has always seemed to me dissonant. As a prideful human being, I often fail to recognize that my decision and humankind's decision to sin has subjected all of creation to a muted, decaying fraction of what it was made to be. Seems wrong, right? I mean this I spent this summer in the Texas Hill Country, the Ozarks, and Telluride and all of those places are just simply beautiful. Tablerock lake is serene. Telluride is majestic. And the Texas Hill Country is a magical place of its own. So, what are these idyllic places missing?

When sin entered, death did too. Which means that natural animal food chain changed, leaves began to wither, and streams dried up. These natural things that we are accustomed to are not how God intended it to be. Creation, in all its glory, is overflowing with life to the brim. Life unceasing. Life beautiful. 

I had glimpses of that this summer. Glimpses of unceasing life after it had been so stilted. Glimpses of life beautiful after so much ugly. And as much as those glimpses glittered in their moment, I was quickly reminded that they were temporary. I felt ugly feelings of jealousy or resentment. I felt heartbroken as I saw that normal, Pre-covid life may be more unattainable than I thought. Even more heartbroken as news from Afghanistan and Christians over there began to surface. The world can be beautiful, but right now it is subjected to brokenness.

BUT... One day, there will be no brokenness. One day "creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption...  [and we will achieve] our adoption to sonship and the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait for it." (Romans 8:23-25)

Meanwhile, on earth we are treated to wonderful glimpses of what it will one day be like, and we get to treat others to them as well. We get to see college campuses opened, nature be explored, and people love and serve their neighbor. Moreover, WE get to take part in learning and teaching those on our college campuses, take care of nature, and love and serve people well. We get to be to this broken earth and its broken people the best picture of Christ we can be. And we do that by understanding and applying Romans 8 and by putting into action 1 Corinthians 13. 

1 Corinthians 13 talks about what love is and what it is not. Here is a list:

Love is: 

  • patient
  • kind
  • humble 
  • forgiving
  • rejoicing in truth
  • long suffering
  • believing
  • hopeful
  • enduring
  • triumphant
  • eternal
Love is not:
  • jealous
  • boastful
  • arrogant
  • self-serving
  • does not act unbecoming
  • not provoked
  • holding others mistakes against them
Love never fails, and it will be the only thing to accompany us to God's new earth. Once we get there, our partial reflection of Christ will be made whole, because we will be in His presence. He has always known us fully, but then we will also fully know Him. "For now we see into the mirror dimly, but then face to face; now we know in part, but then we will fully know just as we have also aways been fully known." (1 Cor 13:12)

Sometimes, we get glimpses on full life. This summer, bid day, and these first days of classes were the sweetest reminder- the sweetest “seeing into the mirror dimly”- of what life with Christ on a new earth will one day look like.  These moments are so sweet and we should never let them pass. However, one day, all we will know are these moments. One day, the fullness of life will abound at all moments and we will live together in harmony with our Creator. 

For now, we cannot help but tear up at these moments and let our prayers of want be interrupted by prayers of gratitude, especially in these sweet glimpses.

But now,  (Rev 22:20) "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly.'

AMEN. Come, Lord Jesus."

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