New Awareness

Yesterday, we reflected on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 7. He writes, “Brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short…”

Paul and the early church expected Jesus to return at any moment. 

The truth is: We don’t know how long we have. Whether Jesus comes back today, tomorrow, in 500 or even 5000 years, it is an inescapable fact of life that we don’t have forever; that all that is, is temporal, fleeting.

With that in mind, Paul continues this passage. He writes: 

…let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 
…and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, 
…and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, 
…and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 
…and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.
For the present form of this world is passing away. 

(- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

Now I’m not quite sure what to do with all that – but here are a couple of thoughts.

Clearly, Paul was not suggesting that live without marriage or mourning or rejoicing or possessions. In fact, in this section of the letter, Paul writes very clearly about how husbands have a responsibility to their wives, wives to their husbands, and parents to their children. We’re still to have these relationships and to love deeply.

However, at the same time, it is important not to lose sight of the temporal nature of it all. And this is not a cause for despair – but for gratitude. Gratitude that suffering and loss do not get to have the last word. Gratitude that we can, even for a short period of time get to experience the beauty of life and love.

I think about a friend who had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Talking with her, I remember her saying, “You know I didn’t want this. It’s not something I would ever wish for. I wouldn’t want it for anyone. But in some ways, this has been a gift. I’ve come to a much deeper sense of gratitude. I’ve come to appreciate each meal, each hug from a friend, each moment with my daughter, my husband… I’ve come to realize how precious it all is…because I don’t know how many more I’ll have.”

The truth is, we don’t know how many more we’ll have… 

My prayer today, as with yesterday, is that you and I be the kind of people who go through this life aware of how precarious and precious it all is. And, may our relationships, our decisions, and our faith be ever shaped by that insight.

Let us pray: Gracious God, may we take every opportunity to love more fiercely, to give more generously, to open our hearts more widely, and to build bridges; in your name. Amen.