The Great Theodrama:

In our world today, we have been taught by our societies that the meaning of life is whatever we make of it. We are told to follow our dreams, that if we make a career out of what we love doing, we will never work a day in our lives. We are encouraged to choose the values that we want to pursue, and find our personal value in that pursuit. This is just like choosing your patron god or goddess from the pantheon in classical Greek and Roman times. We have been given wide-ranging authority to write our own story, and try to bring it to a happy ending. It's an ideology of political correctness, supported by the state.

But this has led to a cacophony of voices, all trying to out-shout one another. Like a street market lined with the stalls of many merchants, everyone wants to recruit some customers to help them build their dreams. But upon closer inspection, these small dreams are merely personal narratives. They lack any broader scope for bringing the world together in a grand vision, or for leading everyone forward to find joy in our daily lives.

By way of contrast, when we look around with an open heart, seeking to embrace the biggest Truth we can find, we discover that there is a God who created the world. And that God has been writing his own story, through every age. Unfortunately, the very earliest parts of the story didn't quite go as planned. He made Adam and Eve, and gave them free will. Those first parents of all humanity made a mistake, and ruined the first chapter of the story. The vast majority of people after that didn't want to listen to a God telling them how to live.

After that, God had to wait until He found the person who could be the father of a people whom He could lead. Finally, He found someone, right at the beginning of civilization. He started by talking to a man named Abram, and He gave him promises. God promised that this man's children and descendants would be cherished by God Himself, and be on stage in every great act of history. Abram agreed, so God changed his name to Abraham, and his descendants have been on the world stage ever since.

The children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have had several of their own chapters in history, culminating in God joining in and playing his own part as a man. Then from among those who listened and believed, He chose a few others to teach everyone else around the world about his plan. He promises shalom, blessing and salvation to all who will follow Him. The Jews mostly did not understand. But now in our days, some more of God's chosen people are understanding the sweep of his story, and agreeing to play a central part again.

And this is an outline of the story of that plan, a Drama composed by God, in many Acts and Revelations:

I. Creation - our job was to lead all creation in a chorus of praising the Creator.
  - we could enjoy companionship with God.
  - we would cultivate the Garden of Eden.
  - we were stewards, ordering nature in shalom.
  - we were meant to expand our handiwork and God's glory over the whole world.

II. The Fall - we looked away from God to instead follow our own agendas.
  - it compromises who we are.
  - our ability to imitate God is broken.
  - our tasks become onerous.
  - we can't get ourselves free from the debilitating consequences of sin.

III. Emerging Israel - God chooses a people to lead and teach how to live.
  - He wants us to learn how to walk in His ways.
  - He asks us to worship and relate to Him as He desires.
  - He is trying to shape a Holy people's hearts and minds.
  - we are still longing for a righteous king to lead us with wisdom and justice.

IV. Jesus Arrives - empowering the growth and fulfillment of Israel's mission.
  - He pronounces justice AND mercy.
  - God is here, walking with us.
  - He is a king who won't fail to follow God.
  - He is a brother and friend who understands us and knows our limitations.

V. Building the Church - we are sent to carry God's word out to all the world.
  - we are following with our hearts and minds.
  - we are being transformed into His likeness.
  - we are trying to establish justice in our societies.
  - let us build a spiritual kingdom of holy relationships among friends.

VI. The Rapture - many shall be chosen to ascend into the glory of the Heavens.
  - we shall build the physical kingdoms of God.
  - we would divide sheep from goats (and cast out wolves).
  - we want to live together in peace and caring.
  - we may someday learn how to overcome the plagues caused by sin and selfishness.

VII. Welcome Home - we shall spread the beauty of life throughout all creation.
  - angelic ambassadors come to visit.
  - we are given a choice: peculiarity or assimilation.
  - we can make barren wastelands bloom.
  - we may join God's Realm, living with consensus, collaboration and shared intention.

This is what could be, if we turn back from our stiff-necked insistence upon our own agendas, and stop seeking our own self-aggrandizement of power, wealth and the praise of men. Rather, let us follow the path of true wisdom, play our appointed parts in the divine drama, and trust Him. We must do as Jesus points the way, to "seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you."

God's story has always been an interactive drama, in which at every point, the players are given a choice, to have faith and follow instructions, or trust in their own wisdom and go their own way. Of course, fools think they are wise, but God accepts the return of those who ask forgiveness. God continually warns us of times of tribulation and winnowing, when we shall suffer for the sins that we refuse to let pass away. But He would far rather give us blessings and the fulfillment of his promises, and come to share with us in companionship. He rejoices when He can fill our hearts with gladness.

As usual, God has divided our tasks in this world from his, as creator of the Cosmos. He gives us the purpose for doing things, according to his "why," so that we can follow his will. But He leaves for us to do the "how," and to figure that out in our own time, whenever we are ready to understand it, spiritually as well as scientifically. We must be persistent enough to dig out the secrets we need to accomplish it.

Moreover, He can't give this future to us if we grasp after it unworthily, and try to take it for ourselves without acknowledging Him. That was the cause of our original fall from grace. If we do that, we will end up fighting among ourselves, and in so doing, we may bring about our own last judgment. We are so close to meeting our challenge, about to embark upon a new era. Let us not proceed in haste, but with prayer and wisdom. We are almost ready to begin to enjoy the first fruits of salvation, if not yet the ultimate glory of Heaven.

May God have mercy upon us, and defend us against our own foolishness, as well as against the interference and provocation of our adversaries. Amen.