Wednesday, April 14, 2010

REDEEMING REDEMPTION

To many a believer this title is slightly nonsensical, even a little bizarre. But it fits within the context of the return from a momentary, seasonal or lifetime hell—time spent there, without the hope of the presence of heaven in our midst.

Redeeming redemption is the present hope and reality of any person with open eyes to see and ears to hear the truth. It’s a personal revelation of joy in knowing peace in life—between the self and the self’s Maker.

It speaks to us in not-so-wild imaginings, a dreamtime experience somehow made realer by the fruit of peace and righteous we know, heartily in the presence of blessing.

It makes its way into our psyches, filtering seemingly even into our most visceral blood. Cleansed and renewed, at last we find the faith that was somehow missing in that former life or time.

The re-birth experience fresh and totally new astounds us; it is simple yet powerfully wonderful.

Coming back to our Presence of God is a humbling and joyous activity of the Spirit redeeming us again—we were never truly gone; it only felt that way. There’s really no end to the amount of times God’s Spirit will dive deep down to grab us out of the mire we’ve sunk to.

So, this is all about God-in-action, and us, receiving, and being encouraged and enlivened in the Spirit.

It’s also reminiscent of the Footprints poem. We see at times how God carried us through when all along we thought he’d betrayed and deserted us. How quickly do we leap for something so false and impossible?

[This article fits as the response to the other-side pigeon-pair article earlier this month, RE-VISITING HELL.]

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.

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