One of my favourite theological discoveries this year has been John Zizioulas. He is best read with a glass of French red, a furrowed brow, and an air of pretension.
Among many other gems, he talks about remembering the future.
No, it’s not a new sci-fi time-travelling thriller.
No, he’s not a new-age soothsayer.
No, it’s not heresy. I think.
When we are “born from above”, Zizioulas says our new humanity:
“has its roots in the future and is perpetually inspired, or rather maintained and nourished, by the future. The truth and the [being] of the person belong to the future, are images of the future.”
Had he discovered some new magic mushrooms at the time?
Not at all! In fact, he’s talking about the mystery of life in the Spirit who is working to break God’s future into the here and now. God’s future, God’s new age, is not so much a time really far in the future. It’s better imagined (I say imagined because it’s beyond comprehension) as the completion of time, the close of history. And because God’s future sits outside of time, it’s not bound by our time.
Zizioulas would say that the gathered church community (particularly in the act of Communion) is a movement, a progress towards the realization of our future completion. It is God’s future breaking into the present. Suitably confused? Good. Because it’s literally nonsensical. In the good divine-mystery sort of way.
All this fundamentally shapes the way we understand our own lives.
On Sunday, Abi talked about perseverance. In scripture, the word “perseverance” or “patience” or “forebearance” often has a future dimension. Rather than persevering out of our own strength into an unknown future, we persevere as a daily living out of who we are becoming. We are remembering our future as redeemed and reconciled children of God and that act of remembering strengthens us in our daily struggles and frustrations.
In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the servant begs the master: “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything” (Matt 18:26). He has a human idea of time and patience. If God would just wait long enough, eventually we’ll get it right and pay off our debt (or worse, if God just stayed far off we wouldn’t have to worry about our mounting debt!). If I had another chance, I could beat that addiction. Another year and I could forgive that person. Just one more promotion and I could give back generously. I just need more time!
But God is not concerned with future debts to be paid. In fact all debts are wiped clean. And that future reality impacts us now. We are no longer people working slavishly to pay off an infinite debt — we are people who everyday remember our future as forgiven children of God.
…which is why the servant’s reaction is all the worse. He can’t even pass on a sliver of that grace to the person who owed him money. Even though he is now defined as forgiven, he still lives as if debts matter!
Forgiving others isn’t just an obligation or something we do because it’s morally right.
Forgiving others is a subversive act of God’s future breaking into the present.
Forgiving others is actively remembering the future God has in store for us and seeing it become reality.
So when talk about being patient or persevering, we’re not talking about passively twiddling our thumbs. God’s patience involves actively forgiving and reconciling — seeing God’s future break into our daily lives.
So what are you waiting for?!
God’s future is here…if you choose to remember.