The Revolution Has Begun

The reign of God has begun. The revolution has begun. God is at work in our world, through those who have grasped the vision. You and I are part of it. We are called to live its values and to invite others to do so as well.

-Br. David Vryhof, SSJE

I have said on a number of occasions, and I’m sure I will say it again, I believe that the first call of every Christian through our baptism is to live as an icon of Christ in the world.

We are called to be windows. When others see us living out our life, they should be able to see through us from the world we live into the world that God dreams for us. But the best part of windows is that they go two ways. Jesus is the light of the world, and we, the beloved children and windows of God, can let the light of Christ shine in the dark places of the world, into the forgotten places of the empire, even, through God’s promise and vindication of Jesus, into the grave. Jesus came into the world to show us the way to live God’s reign, here and now, today.

Br. David is right. The revolution has begun. The way of Jesus, of the Reign of God, is a new and revolutionary way. The word “revolution” is a word for turning. The word is the same idea as the Greek metanoia, the Hebrew shuv; a turning, and for the Christian, a 180 degree turning. This is the turning of repentance, of forsaking the way of sin and death, of broken relationships, of accepting the brokenness of the world as the final word, and turning to a new way of life; this is the turning that leads to resurrection.

This is the revolution: God’s love. This is the revolution where we turn away from allowing there to be people who are hungry. This is the revolution where we turn from degradation as the norm to putting human dignity at the center of our global community. This is the revolution where violence, injustice, and oppression are hung on the cross and justice, respect and peace rise in their place. This is the revolution where love is the keystone and the Risen Lord is the cornerstone of our lives. And this is only the beginning.

It began with Jesus and then he entrusts us with the mission. The rest of the revolution is up to us, empowered and led by the Spirit. Are we going to accept the mission of Christ? Are we going to be the windows to let in God’s love? Are we going to be part of the revolution?