The readings we listen to at this time of the year have a sense of fear and calamity about them. The imagery is strong, as we heard today: the sun and the moon will not shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and even the powers of heaven will be shaken. People very easily interpret this as a reference to the end of the world; and at various times in history, when things have looked grim, the prophets of doom have used these words of the Gospel as a rallying call for people to change their ways and get ready for the end. But I think we also know that there is something a bit unreal about a literal interpretation of this gospel; that this is not what we are facing immediately.
We have a real challenge before if we want to understand what Jesus was saying. He used a particular style of language, which is found in various parts of both the Old and New Testaments. It was vivid in its imagery, and it was meant to shock. It was never about some time far off into the future when the world would end. It was a call to action – immediate action. He was telling his hearers that something of great significance was going on among them, and they should pay attention to it. The urgency of his message was real. He wanted his hearers to do more than think about the end of the world. To simply focus there would be to hide from the present moment.
What is so urgent? What is happening? Why this call to immediate action? The answer is simple: Jesus himself has created the urgency. His message and his miracles pointed to a new heaven and a new earth. He has come into the world and the world is being transformed. God’s kingdom is dawning in the world, and bringing with it a whole new set of relationships between people, and a new order of creation. But as we listen to his words we should remember that the things he was talking about have already begun to happen. He is the Son of Man who has already come in great power and glory. The world is already a different place because of his life, death and resurrection.
So what should future generations take from his words? What can you and I take from this rather strange gospel? One obvious thing is that we are faced with the fact of change. The basic question put to us today is how we deal with the changes that we encounter through life. Sometimes these are personal changes, such as moving from childhood to youth and then to adulthood, or moving into marriage, or facing old age, or finding a new job. Sometimes they are bigger changes, such as those brought about by larger economic forces, or social movements, or political opinion. And sometimes change happens on a global level, such as when we have to face up to the survival of the planet and consider how we use our natural resources, and how we live as true stewards of the environment. Jesus says in the gospel, to read the signs of the times. So this is an important lesson the readings today offer us: notice what is happening around us and be ready to interpret it.
These readings are also telling us that we are never simply idle bystanders, whether it be in the changes within our personal lives, or bigger movements in the world. I think there is a useful hint in the image of the fig tree. The lesson of the fig tree is that the new season begins as a tiny shoot on the tree and that it takes time for the flowers to form and open up. The images Jesus used on other occasions tell us that the kingdom takes shape slowly, almost imperceptibly. God’s kingdom has already begun, and it is still taking shape in the world. For that reason, the urgency of the gospel message is just as strong today. We, who hear the gospel Jesus preached, are being lured by God to participate in the divine action in the world. We are called to be co-workers with the Spirit in the transformation of the world. The little things that happen will gradually build up so that the world is different: little things like the way we treat other people; the values we uphold concerning justice and care for the poor; about the harmony we build in the circle of those we are in daily contact with; and the way we learn to live in harmony with nature. Yes, there is always something that we can’t predict, or can’t control, but if we take heed of the signs that are around us we can participate in the movement of this change. I think that this shows us another important lesson from these readings: seize the moment and work for good because we have been assured that good has already triumphed in Christ.
God is always at work in our world. The act of creation continues day by day, as the world is transformed into the sort of place that God has planned for the whole of creation. St Paul uses a phrase that speaks of the whole of creation groaning in one great act of giving birth. Perhaps this helps us interpret the times in which we live: we are living through change – and it is often unsettling. Let our prayer be that what comes to birth may be worthy of God who has offered us so much.
Fr Gerard Kelly
