The Flaming Sword

"The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, or write, is an effort toward wholeness." -L'Engle

I've been thinking about the cycle I see in the Bible, and the way the world goes. It seems I hear of a new natural disaster or man-made crisis every time a see a paper, have a conversation, or go online. It seems like things are...accelerating. And it makes me wonder how long we have left before things finally come to an end.

I struggle with the idea of peace and war. I struggle with the fact that some part of me really does believe in the potential and power of man, believes in the idea that if we wanted to, we could change the world, make it a better place, a place of peace, maybe even a utopia. I see the light of which we are capable, the goodness and the love. And I wonder why we can't all get a handle on it on a consistent basis. But then I also see the darkness.

Then I look at the scriptures and I see the same struggle. I am reminded that once we were perfect. Once the earth was a paradise. But all of that was ruined. So God, this being who created it all in the first place, reached down into the realm of heaven and fixed it. The damage was done, but he made amends, and taught us how to do the same.

When Adam and Eve at the fruit, they were kicked out of Eden, which was essentially and symbolically the departure of paradise from the earth and from our hearts. When God placed the flaming sword at the entrance, I feel it was His way of saying paradise is over and will never be achieved on the earth again. You cannot re-enter the garden. You cannot go back. You can only go forward. So we did.

Until the next time. When things were so bad that God had to intercede once more. He tried to give us another chance, not at paradise, but at living like we were supposed to. But we didn't. So He tried to wash the world clean with a flood, and even though there were only a handful of people on the ark, one is all it takes to carry the darkness. It only takes one of us.

After the flood, we tried again. When things got worse, God literally abandoned heaven, and became one of us, to show us how to live, how this whole earthly life is meant to be lived. And we still couldn't do it. If only we all lived the way Jesus lived, we would have paradise again. But we don't. Not even the ones of us who call ourselves by his name. But God knew we couldn't and wouldn't. So he died for us.

The entire story of the Bible is the story of God setting things right. Taking our mistakes and trying to correct them. Cleaning up our mess.

Then I look at where we are now, where we've come since Christ. And we've done it again. We've made a mess of things. And God is going to have to clean up after us. Again.

Then I think back to the start, the beginning, the original paradise. And I realize even that wasn't our doing. It was created by Him. And I ask myself, "What do I mean when I say paradise? Do I mean the garden itself?" But of course the answer is no. The reason it was paradise is because we were together with God. And now...

...we are not.

But the time is coming when God must make things right, once and for all. He has to save us, all over again. And I guess I'm just looking forward to the day when all of this...is perfect. When paradise is finally achieved, but by our hands. When the flaming sword is finally gone and we can walk back into the garden. Forever.

The day when "all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well."