Richard Doster
At Easter we’re more dramatically confronted by the full arc of the Christian story: God created the world and it was good; mankind fell into sin, thus corrupting all that God had made — a trespass so severe it could be absolved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — who atoned for the sin and would thereby establish a kingdom where “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
The certainty of this hoped-for future is why millions of believers around the world are — today, tomorrow, and on Easter Sunday — celebrating the reality that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:14).
But it hasn’t quite come in full, has it? After some 2,000 years we still contend with death, mourning, and deep disappointment. We can’t help but wonder, then: What’s taking so long? We’re not the only ones. “The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now,” Paul tells us, pointing out that we, along with the natural world, “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23).
So, why the wait?
It might be to show us the reality that Christ, even now, is seated on the throne, declaring in words and by his actions, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Perhaps it’s because he wants us to see how, in linear history, in Fernandina Beach and throughout Nassau County, he’s restoring all that’s been tarnished.
It could be, too, that in this “between” time, God wants us to know the thrill of taking part in the process — to understand that he’s delegated much of this work to us — which means that he didn’t just save us; he saved for us a purpose.
At Easter, especially, we’re overjoyed by the truth that we’ve been saved for eternal life. But we may not always think about the fact that eternity has already begun and that Christ “is making all things new” right now. We might not always be aware that on Easter morning, when a dead man came alive and stepped out of the tomb, the world moved from one era of history to another. And that we, his Church, were given a new and pivotal role to play.
At the first Easter, says theologian N.T. Wright, God didn’t just save us from death, he saved us for life. He didn’t just save us for our sakes, then, but for our neighbors’ sake, too. And for the health of the dunes, marshes, and maritime forests.
It’s a breathtaking responsibility. We get a feel for the magnitude of it in Psalm 8:3-8, where David, understandably awestruck, can’t contain himself: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Then, overcome by the weight of the task before him, he reflects, “You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.”
Think about all the skills and expertise that requires. Then ponder the fact that we’re all unique, and have been given distinctive gifts, talents, and interests. Surely, if God’s will is to be done on earth as it is heaven, then you and I are to plunge into our part of the world, applying our gifts to our special calling.
We’ve been saved not just from death, but for life, which means we’ve been saved to restore business and education to God’s purpose. We’ve been saved to renew neighborhoods and families. We’re saved to write, paint, and compose; to care for all God’s creatures; to, in short, work with Christ, who is, even now, “making all things new.”
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required,” Luke 12:48 tells us. Most of us have been given plenty, and we’ve all been given something different “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).
This Easter weekend let’s recall that Christ redeemed us so that we, and all creation, might flourish in Fernandina Beach.
Richard Doster lives in Fernandina Beach with his wife Sally. He’s the founding editor of byFaith, the magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America. Reach him at doster.richard@gmail.com.