Days of Future Passed (Past)

‘Days of Future Passed’ (sic) is the name of the 1967 concept album by the Moody Blues. I suspect that it should have been ‘Days of Future Past’... but who knows?

Either way it is an intriguing title and somehow I feel it relates to Advent with the focus of this season on preparation for the celebration of the coming of Christ as Babe of Bethlehem (past) and preparation to greet his coming as Lord of all (future).

How do we prepare for the remembrance of that past day and the coming of that future day?

A less personal reflection today.

But I will be returning to some of the themes already touched upon, not least the silence of God and the absence of God.

In my first Advent blog post I mentioned the concept of ‘inaugurated eschatology’. In spite of my saying that I tended towards this view, namely that there are both "already" and "not yet" aspects to the Kingdom of God, it does not fully or adequately represent all I believe on this matter. And (you will no doubt be relieved to hear) I don’t think a blog post is the best place to explore what I do believe! (well, not in detail at least).

But in these weeks of Advent preparation and anticipation, as we look towards both the celebration of  Christ’s coming in flesh as the Babe of Bethlehem and the eventual greeting of the One who is coming again in glory (however, we understand this awaited day) we are living in the ‘in-between’ times.

Something of that makes sense, for me, of the experience we have of answered prayer, and yet so many unanswered prayers; of the experience of comfort, and yet so much ongoing suffering; of evidence of healing, yet so many unhealed; of the committed struggle and prayer and work for justice and peace in our world, and yet the reality of continued injustice, violence, inequality and oppression... and so on.

If you are really interested in all of this the there are some good books... and you could also check out the internet, of course!

But my point is that in Advent we look back to the past, when God came amongst us in the flesh of a little baby, we look forward to the future when (in whatever way we understand it) history is finally brought to its conclusion and there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and meanwhile we live in these ‘in-between’ times, with all their confusion, frustration and challenge, and yet also with all the hope.

For the God who came, and who will come is also the one who comes in the present, who breaks into our world and our lives and our experience by the Spirit who blows where she wills like the wind in the trees.

The God who came, and who will come is also the one who comes in the present who breaks into our world and our lives and our experience in Word, Sacrament and Community.

The God who came, and who will come is also the one who comes in the present who breaks into our world and our lives and our experience in the prayers, the witness and the love of God’s people.

So, in good and bad, in light and dark, let us not give up being alert to and open to the breath of God’s Spirit, nor give up joining with God’s people in listening for the Word and sharing the Sacrament as we gather as God’s Community, nor give up praying and sharing and caring in Christ’s name that God’s Kingdom may come on earth as in heaven.

In these recent days I have faced the temptation to become so focussed on my own (and my family’s) struggles that I neglect these things I have mentioned.

But still we have to remain faithful.

I have to remain faithful.

Let’s keep on keeping on that the ‘days of future past’ may become the reality of our present day.