The Thessalonian Christians sensed
that full reconciliation with God, one another,
and all creation would be complete
very soon.
2,000 years later, does full reconciliation
feel as imminent, or as palpably real,
to us as it did to them?
Probably not.
As we listen to Paul’s words,
let us feel the reality of a
full reconciliation.
Let the air crackle with the possibility
of its closeness.
Let the Spirit bring a message to the church.
It’s not too hard to be merciful, just, or righteous for a couple minutes, or a day.
It gets a lot harder when those minutes turn to months, and days turn to years.
It really gets hard when those months and years turn into a lifetime.
We need strength, or fuel, for the long haul of living a merciful, just, and righteous life.
We need to be prepared for the distractions, disruptions, delays and setbacks we will encounter.