V is for Vision
During the joint Advent service various members of the congregations spoke on subjects starting with the letters from the word Advent. Joel Swadling spoke about Vision. Here is what he said.
V from Advent. V for Vision. Asked for my variation upon Christ’ s vision for the world- aware of thousands of years, of millions of words, on the subject- all I am capable of is an expression of the personal vision with which Christ impels me to live, as an individual within the Christian faith.
A vision, my faith, which has little if anything to do with a next life; with what happens after we, I, die. Living for each other on this earth, in this time.
‘ On Earth, as it is in Heaven’: the freedom to dream, to envision a creation fully enlivened by God’ s profoundly dazzling capabilities. After the dream, the shared responsibility of enacting, embodying, this creation. Recognition of a place to start. In terms practical and pragmatic, human and multicultural. An end to pollution of the planet, a movement towards protection of its resources, its myriad gifts of nature, species and wildlife. Of material resources, money a means to an end, not a goal in itself. To that end, the elevated and established equality of all, diminished excesses of the unjustly wealthy.
Of societal issues,‘ personal is political’. Transcending history, even the history of our church, of our pre-existing Biblical interpretations. Driven by a compulsion towards comprehending spirituality across the broad human range of experience: to seek, recognise and acknowledge commonality, to celebrate our equality.
Seeing ourselves of many tribes: religious, racial, en-gendered, national. But also of one human family. Locally of one country, but citizens of the world. Opening the fold, exponentially increasing the protection and defence of those of other countries, other faiths, other races, different sexual orientations.
Locating and identifying the resonance of the term,‘ ambitious compassion’. Aspiring to ever greater heights of interpersonal understanding, kindness, humility. The need to forgive one another, that we may be worthy- each in our own eyes- of forgiveness from God. Driven by the desire and ability to feel predisposed towards, worthy of, God’ s forgiveness.
This, the essence of Christ’ s mortal and immortal sacrifice: levelling the field between each human and his or her creator: that forgiveness exist, expressly given and received, God to one person, and then one to another.
Ultimately, the vision of an immediate existence in which difference is recognised and celebrated, human collectivity defended.
Images on these two pages by Brian Rope St Margaret’ s News 6 December 2016