(For part 1, click here)
This is a bit delayed, although not quite as delayed as my posts on the Eucharistic-themed stained glass windows at St. Mary's in Mt. Angel. heh heh...
5) The Book of Revelation chronicles disasters, wars, and terrifying supernatural events. Here on earth, we have only a limited perspective... we tend to get locked into fear when bad things happen. Regardless of what happens, we need to have the faith to have a long perspective. That is: Jesus won. Evil was conquered, death was destroyed. The victory is ours! The catch? Faith such as that has to be developed. We can't ignore the spiritual life and expect to waltz through life's difficult times.
6) God's judgment on us will be an assessment of how we've lived and the choices we've made. From a certain point of view, we have a lot more to do with our judgment than we might think.
7) The imagery in Revelation is fantastical, to say the least. You're not alone if you find it tough to picture a beast with seven heads and seven diadems... or should I ask if I'm alone? :) Still, we can't dismiss the contents of Revelation as a alternating good & bad dream. Real truths are expressed through the symbolism.
8) Let us not forget that redemption isn't something that happens at the end of the world. It's not something that's exclusively reserved to the distant future. God has been and is giving us grace. Jesus comes to us here and now. Let us open our souls to Him!
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