<description>&lt;p&gt;Chad and I talk about how we face endings and beginnings throughout our life and how that connects with a life of faith. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is an excerpt …&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trying to find meaning in an alienated world. I’m not a Doomer Optimist, but that is actually pretty good. In fact, the Christian narrative offers meaning in an alienated world. More specifically, the Christian narrative of the end of all things, the Christian apocalyptic message is what we have forgotten in our alienated world. We have the apocalyptic message, certainly. In fact, much of our apocalyptic understanding had roots in this Christian understanding - but it has escaped, in what Jonathan Askonas called “&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://comment.org/building-a-future-in-the-face-of-the-apocalypse/"&gt;kind of a theological lab leak&lt;/a&gt;”, its proper context.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Of course, the word “apocalypse” comes from the Christian narrative, even as it is used in our secular analysis of history. One of the central biblical meanings of the word is an in-breaking of God’s presence in this age that ends it and ushers in another. It is part of the Christian narrative. For the secularist, apocalypse is bad in any sense of the word. Not only that, all the agency lies with us and, therefore, all the responsibility to avoid apocalypse and usher in utopia. This has resulted, many have argued, in our increasing anxiety - one false move and all is lost. For the Christian, we believe an apocalypse is certain and necessary for the full redemption and restoration of all things - utopia is not in our grasp and apocalypse is not in our ability to avoid. We are called to faithfulness in presence and service and transformation by God’s power as preparation for any future, including an apocalyptic one.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;For Christians, the drawing near of the apocalypse should serve (as it has throughout history) not to paralyze us or make us anxious but to spur us to bold and hopeful action. The end is coming. There will be a catastrophe. But providence still ordains that all will be well. In the Greek myth, when all the evils have fled Pandora’s box, what remains inside is hope.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jonathan Askonas - &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://comment.org/building-a-future-in-the-face-of-the-apocalypse/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Building a Future in the Face of the Apocalypse&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; - Comment - Fall 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The New Testament biblical response to the prospect of apocalypse, this coming of Jesus to us is one of hopeful anticipation - even if it means the overturning of the world as we know it. In part because of this overturning. This is the way that justice is done, all is restored, and the brokenness of humankind is healed. Of course, it is true that throughout history and throughout the world, the church has and does most often occur in contexts of poverty, sacrifice, or persecution. Apocalypse means the end of all of that - and therefore perhaps more naturally viewed with hope.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Read the whole thing - &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://theembassy.substack.com/p/endings-and-beginnings"&gt;Endings and Beginnings&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Get full access to The Embassy at &lt;a href="https://theembassy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&amp;#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4"&gt;theembassy.substack.com/subscribe&lt;/a&gt;</description>

On Culture

Mike Sherman - a podcast of The Embassy substack newsletter - theembassy.substack.com

On Culture - Endings and Beginnings

OCT 19, 202435 MIN
On Culture

On Culture - Endings and Beginnings

OCT 19, 202435 MIN

Description

<p>Chad and I talk about how we face endings and beginnings throughout our life and how that connects with a life of faith. </p><p>Here is an excerpt …</p><p>Trying to find meaning in an alienated world. I’m not a Doomer Optimist, but that is actually pretty good. In fact, the Christian narrative offers meaning in an alienated world. More specifically, the Christian narrative of the end of all things, the Christian apocalyptic message is what we have forgotten in our alienated world. We have the apocalyptic message, certainly. In fact, much of our apocalyptic understanding had roots in this Christian understanding - but it has escaped, in what Jonathan Askonas called “<a target="_blank" href="https://comment.org/building-a-future-in-the-face-of-the-apocalypse/">kind of a theological lab leak</a>”, its proper context.</p><p>Of course, the word “apocalypse” comes from the Christian narrative, even as it is used in our secular analysis of history. One of the central biblical meanings of the word is an in-breaking of God’s presence in this age that ends it and ushers in another. It is part of the Christian narrative. For the secularist, apocalypse is bad in any sense of the word. Not only that, all the agency lies with us and, therefore, all the responsibility to avoid apocalypse and usher in utopia. This has resulted, many have argued, in our increasing anxiety - one false move and all is lost. For the Christian, we believe an apocalypse is certain and necessary for the full redemption and restoration of all things - utopia is not in our grasp and apocalypse is not in our ability to avoid. We are called to faithfulness in presence and service and transformation by God’s power as preparation for any future, including an apocalyptic one.</p><p><p><em>For Christians, the drawing near of the apocalypse should serve (as it has throughout history) not to paralyze us or make us anxious but to spur us to bold and hopeful action. The end is coming. There will be a catastrophe. But providence still ordains that all will be well. In the Greek myth, when all the evils have fled Pandora’s box, what remains inside is hope.</em></p><p><em>Jonathan Askonas - </em><a target="_blank" href="https://comment.org/building-a-future-in-the-face-of-the-apocalypse/"><em>Building a Future in the Face of the Apocalypse</em></a><em> - Comment - Fall 2024</em></p></p><p>The New Testament biblical response to the prospect of apocalypse, this coming of Jesus to us is one of hopeful anticipation - even if it means the overturning of the world as we know it. In part because of this overturning. This is the way that justice is done, all is restored, and the brokenness of humankind is healed. Of course, it is true that throughout history and throughout the world, the church has and does most often occur in contexts of poverty, sacrifice, or persecution. Apocalypse means the end of all of that - and therefore perhaps more naturally viewed with hope.</p><p>Read the whole thing - <a target="_blank" href="https://theembassy.substack.com/p/endings-and-beginnings">Endings and Beginnings</a>.</p><p></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Embassy at <a href="https://theembassy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">theembassy.substack.com/subscribe</a>