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The Day The Earth Stood Still; 2 Peter 3:8-1512/7/2008 The Day The Earth Stood Still
Well, this week the kids are clamoring about the remake of the old 1951 Sci-fi movie, The Day Earth Stood Still. I wonder if we think about the day when Christ returns? Henri Nouwen was a Catholic monk who wrote devotionally for the benefit of the church. In The Genesee Diary (Copyright 1976) he reflected on an Advent sermon he had heard on Christ’s second coming:
“We should desire not only the first coming of Christ in his lowly human gentleness but also his second coming as the judge of our lives. When I first heard that comment in an Advent sermon, I sensed that desire for Christ’s judgment is a key to my growing in holiness and yet I realized how little I felt or cultivated that desire.”
“Since it was not easy to desire fervently this second coming and very hard to prepare ourselves for the Day of Judgment by desire, at least we ought to prepare ourselves by fear. Fear? Yes. I’ve begun to see more clearly how part of Christian maturing is the slow but persistent deepening of fear to the point where it becomes desire. The fear of God is not in contrast with divine mercy. Words such as fear and desire, justice and mercy have to be relearned and re-understood when we use them in talking about our intimate relationship with the Lord.”
His words cause me to wonder, do I live knowing I shall give an account for my life? I hope to see you Sunday.
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